Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Wellness That Doesn’T Work. When Lifestyle Apps Lead To Disordered Eating., Aurelie G. Muntzel

Capstones

Fitness and dieting are nothing new, but what makes the latest generation of dieting apps that pair with smart watch devices which track your nutrition and biometric data so different is how much easier they can lead you towards disordered eating. This capstone explores how corporate incentives drive diet apps to co-opt the language of wellness discourse in order to attract the Gen Z market, while selling a product that equates healthiness to a number on a scale.

The Emerging Epidemic Of Type 2 Diabetes And Obesity Amongst Young Children, Juliana Morales

Nursing | Senior Theses

Background:

In the past years childhood obesity has increased tremendously and currently ⅓ of children in the United States are obese today. Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes are illnesses that can later on lead to more severe health complications when as a child enters adulthood. Children who are obese have a greater risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, and currently more than 80% of children who already are diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes are obese. In school and often by health care providers we are told daily physical activity and healthy diet are the best ways to maintain optimal health, …

Pick Your Plate: A Nutrition Education Study, Emmalyn Tucker

Honors College Theses

Childhood obesity has become a cause for concern among many nutrition experts. Childhood obesity can contribute to several health problems such as type 2 diabetes, asthma, high blood pressure. The large percentage of children affected with childhood obesity suggests a lack of essential nutrition education in our country. Junk food consumption and inadequate intake of the USDA’s MyPlate food groups have become essential areas for intervention. Multiple school-based nutrition education interventions have been explored to improve both children’s nutrition knowledge and improve healthy eating behaviors. “Pick Your Plate” is a nutrition education study designed to improve nutrition knowledge regarding junk …

Investigation Of Exercise, Nutrition, And High Tibial Osteotomy Interventions For Patients With Medial Dominant Knee Osteoarthritis, Codie Primeau

Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of two distinct interventions in improving outcomes for patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA) and varus alignment: 1) a 12-week minimally supervised therapeutic exercise program with nutrition recommendations, 2) and high tibial osteotomy (HTO).

Methods: This dissertation involved four studies. Participants were recruited as part of two separate ongoing prospective cohort studies evaluating clinical, biomechanical, and physiological outcomes following a) a 12-week exercise and nutrition program (studies 1-2) or b) HTO (studies 3-4) for knee OA. For studies 1 & 2, we evaluated change in physiological measures (body composition, muscle strength, gait biomechanics), patient-reported …

Nutrition Facts Label Use Among U.S. Adolescents, Jennifer Beth Mandelbaum

Theses and Dissertations

Despite the promise of Nutrition Facts label (NFL) use as a population-level intervention with broad reach, few studies have examined determinants of adolescents’ NFL use, and how this label use may be associated with nutrition behaviors. This study used data from the International Food Policy Study, an online cross-sectional survey of trends in dietary patterns and policy-relevant behaviors in the U.S. and five other countries. First, this study examined 1) whether NFL use was associated with healthy eating efforts and 2) whether there were sociodemographic differences in NFL use among U.S. adolescents. Results demonstrated that NFL use was positively associated …

Investigating Fruit And Vegetable Variety In A National Food Co-Op: A Brighter Bites Evaluation, Katherine G. Hearne

Dissertations & Theses (Open Access)

American children eat fewer fruits and vegetables (F&V) and less variety of F&V than recommended for health. Food cooperatives and other programs have become a popular way to increase F&V intake, but little is known about the variety of F&V distributed by these programs or its relationship with program attendance or child F&V intake. Brighter Bites is a national, school-based food co-op distributing rescued, donated, fresh F&V to families in low-income schools. We evaluated, for the first time, the variety of F&V Brighter Bites distributed to families in the 2018-2019 school year and the relationships between that variety and both …

Implementing A Child Friendly Menu Guide In A Pediatric Unit: Promoting Healthful Choices, Lauren Hull

Dissertations

Problem: Over 1/3 of children in the United States are overweight or obese and children’s nutritional status while hospitalized worsens rather than improves. Hospital meals have too many calories, too much sugar, and too few nutrients compared to recommended guidelines for children. The primary purpose of this quality improvement project is to increase the amount of healthy foods ordered by children in a southeastern pediatric hospital unit through implementation of a menu guide.

Methods: A quality improvement pre-post interventional pilot study was done through implementation of a child friendly menu guide promoting healthful eating. Data was collected by retrospective and …

Examining Perceived Stress And Diet Quality Among Low-Income Families Engaged With A Nutrition-Based Food Assistance Program, Kelsey R. Wolfe, Kathryn L. Dambrino, David Phillippi, Laura Gray

DNP Scholarly Projects

Abstract

Introduction: Evidence suggests poor-quality diets and high levels of stress have negative impacts on health, especially in low-income families in the southern United States. Nutrition-based food assistance programs were developed to meet nutritional needs of food insecure clients. The purpose of this scholarly project was to explore the relationship between perceived stress and diet quality among low-income families engaged with a nutrition-based food assistance program.

Methods: A retrospective and observational design was used to analyze previously collected survey responses from clients participating in a nutrition-based food assistance program in Nashville, TN (N = 425). Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s …

Impact Of Incorporating Intuitive Eating Principles Into A College Nutrition Course On Eating Behaviors, Kira L. Minot

Master's Theses

Objective: This study aimed to assess the impact of an online introductory college nutrition course that implements evidence-based intuitive eating (IE) concepts and principles on students’ application of IE behaviors. A secondary outcome explored the relationship between student grades and changes in IE behavior implementation. Researchers hypothesized an increase in the average use of IE practices post-intervention.

Methods: This study was a non-randomized pilot intervention using pre- and post-test surveys. Enrolled students completed the intuitive eating scale-2 (IES-2) survey on the first and last days of the 16-week course. Students participated in typical nutrition coursework throughout the semester with the …

Perioperative Tube Feeding Guidelines For The Pediatric Burn Patient, Jordan Swanberg

Doctor of Nursing Practice Projects

Pediatric burn patients require an astronomical amount of nutritional support to promote wound healing and prevent unwanted side effects. These patients often require multiple surgeries, and consequently, when following standard NPO guidelines, these patients go for hours without any nutritional support. For this reason, a protocol was implemented on how to administer tube feedings throughout the perioperative process safely. The purpose of this project was to give a PowerPoint presentation to the providers that tested their current knowledge on how to manage tube feedings in the operative setting best. A single group design consisting of CRNA’s and an anesthesiologist was …

A Systematic Review On The Associationbetweendietaryintakeofomega-3pufasand Hearing, Swathi S Ms.

Manipal College of Health Professions, Manipal Theses and Dissertations

Abstract Title:Asystematic review on the association between dietary intake of OMEGA-3 PUFAS and hearingBackground:The current systematic review aimedat characterizing the links between HL and dietary consumption of Omega-3 PUFAsthrough assessingthe audiological findings of adults with and without dietary consumption of Omega-3 PUFAsand checkingits preventive functionagainst hearing lossand other benefits. Methods:Studiesexcept for narrativeand systematic reviews,published until 20 April 2022, including adult populations of the age above 49years with normal hearing sensitivity and sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) with Pure tone audiometry (PTA) and semiquantitative food-frequency questionnaire (SFFQ)as outcome measures were included.The systematic searches were carried out in 6 electronic databases including PMC, …

College Students Fail To Identify Nutrition Misinformation On Social Media, Helen Mary Katool

Honors Theses

Social media has become a part of everyday life in our society and has the capability to reach billions, across age groups. Research has shown that there is a direct link between the widespread access to social media and the amount of misinformation that is circulating. In fact, unqualified and uneducated individuals share believable but inaccurate nutrition posts. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to determine if college students can distinguish the difference between nutrition misinformation or factual nutrition information when presented on social media. Male and female college students (>18 years old) from two classes (nutrition and …

Recipe Modification For Cardiovascular Health, Meg Tolbert

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death globally. CVDs affect the heart and blood vessels. The most prominent CVDs are coronary artery disease, cerebrovascular disease, rheumatic heart disease, and other conditions. More than four out of five CVD deaths are due to heart attacks and strokes.

The most important behavioral risk factors of heart disease and stroke are unhealthy diet and physical inactivity, but also include harmful abuse of tobacco and alcohol. These lifestyle factors display themselves as phenotypes like high blood pressure, high blood glucose and blood lipids, diabetes, and obesity. These risk factors, outside of genotype …

Nutrition On The Prevention And Treatment Of Depression, Gracie Polen

Nursing | Senior Theses

Today, the general population consumes a diet high in sugars, saturated fats, incomplete protein sources, and the tendency to exceed the bodies caloric requirements. The trend of obesity due to poor dietary habits is alarming. Mental illness has increasingly risen over the past decade. Specifically, the incidence of depression has reached a startling rate. The relationship between poor dietary intake and depression have grown together and it is imperative that methods are introduced to aid in resolving this issue. The prevention and treatment of depression needs to be explored through alternative methods. Healthier dietary choices have been shown to have …

Characterization Of Gangliosides And Fatty Acids In Extracellular Vesicles From Human Milk, Aliya Amin

Food Science (MS) Theses

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are bioactive components of human milk that may impact functionality to regulate growth, cognitive development, metabolism, and immunity in newborns. The biogenesis of EVs and the mechanism by which EVs elicit biologic effects in vivo have not been characterized entirely. Gangliosides and fatty acids are integral in the formation, release, stability, and functionalities of EVs. Presumably, EV function is related to EV composition and lipids in EVs influence the bioavailability of EV cargo and downstream functions of EVs. The objective of this research was to characterize the fatty acid and ganglioside composition of EVs in human milk. …

Eat Well, Be Well: Basic Needs Initiative's Online Hub For Nutrition Education, Misha Moseley

Capstone Projects and Master's Theses

Basic Needs Initiative at California State University, Monterey Bay is a department that provides students with food, housing, and wellness resources. Over half of the university's students experience food insecurity, and over 85% use non-academic resources to learn about nutrition. This project adds a dietary health section to the department’s website to increase students’ access to nutrition education. It addresses the micro-level agency problem that too few students eat a healthy, balanced diet. Unhealthy eating is a risk factor for food insecurity, so the project indirectly addresses the macro-level health problem that too many college students in California experience food …

Vitamind D Concentrations And Covid-19 Outcomes, Bennett A. Leitch

Physician Assistant Scholarly Project Papers

In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a pandemic. Now, with over five million deaths the pandemic continues to cloak the globe. As of November 2021, 49.1% of the world population has received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccination according to ourworldindata.org/covid-vaccinations. In the United States, the CDC reported 57.6% of the population is fully vaccinated. With much of the population unvaccinated, potential protective factors are needed to help diminish infection. This literature review aimed to investigate a correlation between low serum vitamin D concentrations and outcomes of COVID-19 infections. A total of 27 research articles …

Assessing Nutritional Health Knowledge In Sharing Clinic Patients With Diabetes, Minden Huntrods

Capstone Experience

Effective diabetes prevention and management relies on nutritional behaviors, thus a basic level of health knowledge is important for patients with diabetes and their caregivers in their quest to acquire acute glycemic control and minimize negative health outcomes (Ley et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to assess the nutrition-related health knowledge of patients living with diabetes who are seen at the UNMC Sharing Clinic by use of a verbal questionnaire. This nutritional health knowledge assessment was a quantitative, prospective, survey-based study utilizing descriptive statistics. Approximately 86% of patients were proficient in food group and nutritious foods knowledge …

The Influence Of Dash Diet Education On Knowledge And Adherence In Primary Care: A Quality Improvement Project, Paige Bekker

Culminating Experience Projects

Background/Local Problem: A rural family practice was concerned about the number of

patients with uncontrolled hypertension, 19.86% n = 56, as defined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After several quality improvement (QI) initiates to lower the prevalence rate of uncontrolled hypertension, including proper measurement techniques and home monitoring, the modifiable risk factor of adapting one’s food intake was introduced using the Dietary Approach to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet as an intervention. The DASH diet is an evidence-based approach for lowering blood pressure. The QI project was completed with the purpose of implementing DASH diet education and …

Is Dietary Teaching Via Telehealth Effective In Lowering Hgba1c In Adult Patients With Prediabetes Or Type 2 Diabetes?, Mia Mccallum-Crawford

UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones

Prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) are two common conditions diagnosed in the primary care setting. Both conditions benefit from a healthy lifestyle, managing blood sugar levels, and getting diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES). Within the past two decades, the healthcare community in the US has witnessed a substantial rise in diabetes among adults. Overall, the self-management of diabetes continues to worsen nationally. The purpose of this project is to improve patients’ self-management of both Prediabetes and T2DM through nutrition and show how nutritional counseling via telehealth provided by a nurse practitioner can improve HgbA1C values over 3 …

Gigi’S Playhouse Program Development, Jensen Anderson

OTD Capstone Projects

This capstone project was completed through a partnership with GiGi’s Playhouse of Nashville. GiGi’s Playhouse offers free and purposeful programs for individuals with Down Syndrome from birth through adulthood. The focus of this project was development, modification, and facilitation of the GiGi University program. GiGi University is a program for adults focused on career skills, communication skills, money management, and wellness through nutrition, healthy cooking, and fitness. The goal of this program is to promote increased independence and confidence, as well as to prepare participants for career opportunities and the GiGi’s Playhouse internship program. The national curriculum was modified to …

Qualitative Analysis Of South Dakota Community Health Needs Assessments, Rachel Greiner

Honors Thesis

The supplemental nutrition program of women, infants and children (WIC) is a nationwide program designed to give women and children access to basic nutritional foods, breastfeeding services, and healthcare referrals. WIC has been shown to help prevent some diseases such as nutritional deficiencies or type two diabetes by requiring participants to attend pre- and postnatal appointments and nutritional counseling. The effectiveness of the WIC program is not well known in individual states. The purpose of this research is to identify trends of the WIC program and resources within South Dakota through an analysis of the community health needs assessments. The …

The Prevalence Of Nutritional Interventions As Treatment In The American Healthcare System: Assessing The Experiences And Perspectives Of Adult Patients, Macy R. Holmbeck

Selected Honors Theses

It is well known that good nutrition is effective in promoting optimal health and in preventing and treating disease. However, it is unclear whether this understanding is successfully being reflected in the treatment that patients are receiving from their healthcare providers in the United States. This study surveyed adult patients about their experiences in the American healthcare system regarding the treatment they’ve received from various providers, as well as their perspectives on the role of nutritional interventions in healthcare. The sample included 23 adults reporting one or more chronic illnesses and 19 adults never diagnosed with chronic illness. Medical treatment …

Doctors & Diets: The Return Of Nutrition To American Medical Education, Luke Hollingsworth

Senior Theses

The purpose of this honors graduation thesis is to analyze the role of nutrition in the prevention, management, and treatment of chronic diseases and to argue that clinical nutrition should be reintegrated into American medical education as a high priority subject. The thesis begins with a historical review of clinical nutrition beginning in the fifth century B.C. with Hippocrates in Classical Greece and ending in 21st century America. Following the historical review, five of some of the most prevalent chronic diseases in America are examined through a nutritional lens. This thesis concludes with a discussion of the outlook of American …

Nutritional Status In Critical Care Of Covid-19 Patients, Dolph Lewis Davis Iii

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Critical care nutrition is a poorly researched, and such a sudden pandemic event requiring manipulation of nutritional status via propofol-induced sedation for mechanical ventilation is potentially impactful on patient outcomes. This paper seeks to provide context to the impact of critical care protocols on the nutritional status of obese patients suffering from COVID-19.

Nutritional Considerations In The Care Of Transgender And Gender-Diverse Individuals: Exploring The Knowledge, Attitudes, Beliefs, And Roles Of Registered Dietitian Nutritionists And Nutrition Professionals, Jennifer Madeleine Waters

Graduate Research Theses & Dissertations

Within the past few years, various nutrition-relevant considerations related to the care of transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) individuals have been emphasized. However, the preparedness of registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) to provide nutrition care to this highly marginalized group with unique health concerns is unknown. Available research on the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of RDNs as it relates to the care of the TGD community is scarce. It is unknown how frequently transgender-specific health and nutrition topics are being taught to emerging RDNs and nutrition professionals. Further, the potential barriers that nutrition and dietetics educators perceive or face as it relates …

Nutrition And Physical Exercise Prevention Strategies To Reduce Obesity During The Covid-19 Pandemic, Carmesha Vajill Carter

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

Obesity has reached an epidemic level of 75 million obese adults and 15 million obese children in the United States. The research problem addressed in this study is the lack of information on how obese people manage their weight-loss strategies to prevent or reduce obesity during shut-in place restrictions for the COVID-19 Pandemic. This study included the Prochaska and DiClemente Trans-Theoretical Model of Behavioral Change and the Stage of Change Theory. The phenomenon approach using phenomenology described participants' lived experiences of being obese. The researcher completed data collection and evaluation among sixteen participants using email questionnaires to analyze participant's responses …

Primary Care Physicians’ Participation, Knowledge, And Views Of Nutrition Counseling For Weight Management, Carl Schlesser

Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies

AbstractAn estimated 70% of the United States population is considered overweight or obese, which has led to an epidemic. Primary care physicians (PCPs) are considered the first line of defense to help fight obesity through weight management by providing nutrition care to patients. With little known about how PCPs engage with their patients on nutrition care combined with changing guidelines on treating obese patients, there is a gap in research on how PCPs help patients with weight management and what tools PCPs use to accomplish this. Guided by the health promotion model, the purpose of this qualitative study was to …

Food Environment, Food Acquisition Behavior, And Fruit And Vegetable Consumption Among Burmese Immigrants And Refugees : A Socio-Ecological Study, Hnin Wai Lwin Myo

Legacy Theses & Dissertations (2009 - 2024)

Background: Using the framework of the Socio-Ecological Model, the current study aimed to investigate the associations between nutritional knowledge, food environment, food acquisition behavior, and daily recommended fruit and vegetable consumption (≥5 cups of fruits and vegetables) among Burmese refugees and immigrants in the Capital Region, New York. Methods: During July - November 2018, a cross-sectional survey with face-to-face interviews was conducted among Burmese refugees and immigrants aged 18 years and older living in Albany and Rensselaer counties (n=173, 52.0% female, mean age = 42.8). Daily recommended fruit and vegetable consumption was determined as ≥5 cups of fruit and vegetable …

Nutrition Perception, Dietary Intake, And Anthropometric Correlations Between Autism Spectrum Disorder And Typically Developing Adolescents., Kristin M. Berg

UNF Graduate Theses and Dissertations

The adolescent’s nutrition perception is reflected in dietary intake and body composition. Obesity is prevalent among adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Dietary habits of children with ASD are affected by sensory issues, gastrointestinal factors, and parental provision of diet. This cross-sectional study identifies the relationships among variables for dietary intake, nutrition perception of intake, and anthropometric measurements for adiposity for 19 adolescents, ages 11 to 17, with ASD. Twenty-four children who are typically developing (TD) were assessed to compare all variables for significant differences. Measurements of variables of interest were obtained from the adolescent subjects: a 24-hour recall of …