Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

Assessment Of The University Of Rhode Island's Dining Halls And Student Perceptions Of On-Campus Dining, Maria Cherry

Senior Honors Projects

University dining halls are understudied food environments that affect student diet quality. This study (1) assessed dining hall offerings at the University of Rhode Island (URI) using the Partnership for a Healthier America’s Healthier Campus Initiative (PAHA) criteria for healthier campus food environments and (2) evaluated student perceptions of the dining hall through a campus-wide survey (n=165). We evaluated breakfast, lunch, and dinner using spring cycle menus (16 weeks in 2019 and 4 in 2021) from two full-service dining halls totaling 29 meals in 2019, and 84 meals in 2021 to determine adherence with PAHA criteria for availability of: 1) …

Lessons Learned From The Fresh Food Institute, Leslie Spencer, Dara Lobuono

Rita & Larry Salva School of Nursing and Health Professions Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Exploring Factors Associated With The Eating Behaviours And Influences On Food Choice In Irish Teens, Aisling Daly

Doctoral

Aim The aim of this research was to understand the eating behaviour traits and food choice motivations of Irish teens, and to investigate the social, psychological, and attitudinal determinants of these eating behaviour traits and influences on food choice.

Methods Mixed methods were used in this research, using quantitative analysis of data from the National Teens’ Food Survey II (NTFSII), a cross-sectional study of teens aged 13-18 years old (N=428). Data predominantly came from the TFEQ-r18 and VARSEEK tools for eating behaviour traits, and the FCQ tool for food choice motivations, as well as socio-demographics, anthropometrics, behaviour/attitudes and dietary intakes. …

Food Security And Assistance Programs In Vermont Before And During Covid-19, Madeleine Burke, Ashley C. Mccarthy, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

Here we surveyed a cohort of Vermonters at three time points over the first year of the pandemic. The surveys were conducted in March/ April 2020, June 2020, and March/April 2021. The demographics of the 441 Vermonters who responded to all three surveys are comparable to average Vermont demographics on income, but the respondents were more likely to have a college degree and to identify as female. This brief explores how the use of food assistance programs varied within this population and changed over the course of the pandemic. Key findings include: 1. The number of Vermonters using food assistance …

Preventing Allergies In Infants: What Foods To Introduce And When, Annika Israelsen, Stacy Bevan, Mateja R. Savoie-Roskos

All Current Publications

Food allergies have become increasingly common over the past several years among children in the United States (Comberiati et al., 2019; Sicherer et al., 2017). Food allergies are a negative immune response occurring in the body after eating a specific food (Sicherer et al., 2017). Unlike food intolerances, such as lactose intolerance which causes uncomfortable symptoms in the stomach and intestines, allergic reactions to food can cause a wide range of serious and sometimes fatal symptoms (Konek & Becker, 2020). Food allergies can affect a child’s health and quality of life, while also impacting their caregivers’ lives (Sicherer et al., …

Covid-19 Impacts On Food Security And Systems: A Third Survey Of Vermonters, Meredith T. Niles, Emily H. Belarmino, Farryl Bertmann

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

This brief report highlights the findings from a third survey of Vermonters since COVID-19. We surveyed 600 Vermonters, representative on Vermont demographics on race, ethnicity and income in August and September 2020. We find that nearly 30% of Vermont respondent households were food insecure between March and September, with households experiencing a job disruption, households with children, and respondents without a college degree at greater odds for food insecurity. One-third of respondents used some type of food assistance program since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerns about food access and challenges had largely gone down, on average since March …

Food Access Through School Meals And Food Pantries During Covid-19: Early Findings From Vermont, Farryl Bertmann, Emily H. Belarmino, Thomas Wentworth, Erin Biehl, Roni Neff, Meredith T. Niles

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Faculty Publications

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has affected people worldwide, disrupting food access, and security. To understand how food systems and security are impacted during this pandemic, an online survey was launched in Vermont from March 29 - April 12, 2020 (less than a week after the “Stay Home/Stay Safe” order). A total of 3,219 Vermonters responded with 182 providing a written answer specifically about food pantries and 828 of the respondents providing written comments to the open-ended question at the end of the survey. This brief summarizes survey findings and respondent comments about experiences with two programs during the early …

The Impact Of Stress On Diet, Sleep, And Exercise Amongst College Students, Jessica Rizzo

Senior Honors Projects

Stress is something that everyone faces in their lifetime and has an everlasting impact on their health. College students face high levels of stress throughout the semester, but how is that impacting their behavior? I conducted a survey alongside Dr. Melanson, a professor in the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, to see just how college students are reacting to stress. The survey was circulated to different departments and classes to achieve a widespread collection of data. The survey remained completely anonymous and posed questions about eating, exercise, and sleep habits, along with questions on demographics and stress levels. Our …

The Impact Of Sports Nutrition Knowledge On The Physical Effects Of Low Energy Availability In Female Cross Country Runners., Abby Olcott, Catherine Anstrom

Student Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Learning Outcome

To understand the impact sports nutrition knowledge has on the risk for developing LEA in Female Cross Country Runners.

Background

The International Olympic Committee introduced the concept of Relative Energy Deficiency in Sports (RED-S) to accurately encompass the condition previously known as the Female Athlete Triad. LEA is the root cause of RED-S. (Mountjoy et al., 2014). The purpose of this study was to measure sports nutrition knowledge and the impact knowledge level has on the susceptibility to develop LEA in female cross country runners.

Methods

A quantitative design was used. Participants included the women’s cross country team …

The Relationship Between Food Allergy Reporting And Allergen Friendly Food Availability In A University Foodservice, Abigail Brummel

Student Scholarship – Family and Consumer Science

Food allergies grew 18% from 1997-2007 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2013). As the prevalence of food allergies continues to grow, college students with diagnosed food allergies are having difficulty finding allergen friendly foods in college campus food service (Food Allergy Research & Education, 2014). In order to find the relationship between food allergy communication and prevalence of allergen friendly food on a college campus, a mixed method design was used for this research study. A researcher constructed questionnaire was piloted to senior dietetic students (n=8) for question clarity. Questions were then adjusted for clarity. A convenience …

Association Between Spatial Access To Food Outlets, Frequency Of Grocery Shopping, And Objectively-Assessed And Self-Reported Fruit And Vegetable Consumption, Jared T. Mcguirt, Stephanie B. Jilcott Pitts, Alison Gustafson

Dietetics and Human Nutrition Faculty Publications

Because supermarkets are a critical part of the community food environment, the purpose of this paper is to examine the association between accessibility to the supermarket where participants were surveyed, frequency of shopping at the supermarket, and self-reported and objectively-assessed fruit and vegetable consumption. Accessibility was assessed using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) measured distance and multiple versions of the modified Retail Food Environment Index (mRFEI), including a localized road network buffer version. Frequency of shopping was assessed using self-report. The National Cancer Institute Fruit and Vegetable screener was used to calculate daily servings of fruits and vegetables. Skin carotenoids were …

Assessing The Cost Of Healthful Food Choices In America, Sarah Wagner

Student Writing

No abstract provided.

Assessment Of Nutrition Status Of Adults Using The Nutrition Focused Physical Examination, Kaycee Patrick, Anna Claire Goodroe, Detri Brech

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

Background: Thirteen percent of the United States (U.S.) population is over 65 years of age and up to 50% are malnourished; therefore, seniors were chosen as the subjects for this research study.

Objective: To identify malnutrition in older adults using the Nutrition Focused Physical Examination (NFPE), and to compare the results to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics parameters for assessment of nutritional status.

Design: Each senior voluntarily completed a head-to-toe NFPE, 24-hour diet recall, and anthropomorphic measures were also taken. Information was later analyzed and results were given to each participant.

Participants/setting: Seniors from the Senior Center in Arkadelphia, …

Eating Frequency And The Role Of Snacking On Body Weight Of Wic Preschool Children, Andrea Charvet

FIU Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The objective of this study was to understand the influence of eating episodes and snack quality on body weight of children ages 3-4.9 years participating in the Broward County Special Supplementation Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).Additional objectives were to evaluate obesity risk factors and to examine the effect of childcare arrangements on body weight. Data was collected from 7 Broward County Health Department WIC clinics over 4 months via a researcher-administered questionnaire. Additional data was extracted from the WIC data system. BMI-for-age percentiles were used to categorize children by weight according to Centers for Disease Control (CDC) …

Dfn 220 Ethnic And Therapeutic Meal Patterns, Katherine Burt

Open Educational Resources

An in-depth exploration of foods and foodways of diverse populations and cultures. Examination of the effect of ethnic, geographic, ecological and historical factors on foods, foodways, health and diet related diseases.

The full course site is available at https://culturalfoods.commons.gc.cuny.edu/.

Effects Of Nutrition And Physical Activity Intervention In Improving Children's Bmi-For-Age Percentiles, Anna Claire Goodroe, Kaycee Patrick, Detri Brech

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

Background: The number of obese children and adolescents in the United States (U.S.) is estimated to be 12.7 million according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Therefore, approximately 17% of the nation’s children are obese. Rates of childhood obesity in Arkansas (22%) are consistently higher than the national average. To address this issue, a nutrition and physical activity intervention was designed by researchers from Ouachita Baptist University (OBU) Nutrition and Dietetics Program.

Objective: To determine the effectiveness of a nutrition and physical activity intervention in improving the Body Mass Index (BMI)-for-age percentiles of rural Arkansas children at …

Overall Knowledge Regarding The "Freshman 15" Of First Year Students, Abigail Mills, Marina Lorenzo

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

The “Freshman 15” is a term used by first year students at a college or university. It is the idea that students will increase in body weight by fifteen pounds during the first year. Although the concern of gaining fifteen pounds is exaggerated by media, the actual weight gained varies between each student. Weight gain at school could be affected by the number of home cooked meals before attending school, increased alcohol consumption, physical activity level, and body perception. A survey was created to pretest and posttest the participants on their basic nutrition knowledge and the concern of the “Freshman …

Eating Habits And Feelings Of Health In Ouachita Baptist University Faculty And Staff, Sarah O'Neall, Hannah Rogers

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

Background Eating habits and source of meals may contribute to overall well-being. However, little data is available on the comparison between eating habits and source of meals in comparison to feelings of health.

Objective This study evaluates how eating habits and the main source of meals compares to feelings of health in participants.

Methods This study was conducted electronically through distributing an online questionnaire to faculty and staff at Ouachita Baptist University.

Statistical analysis The results were analyzed by the online questionnaire software and the researchers by comparing percentages of participants' answers. An average was also calculated for the different …

A Survey Of A Rural Southwest Arkansas Baptist University On Engagement In Spiritual Disciplines And Attitudes Toward Nutrition In The Church, Elizabeth Fast

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

Background: Due to America’s declining health, effective interventions are needed to reverse the trend. Churches may be an ideal setting for these interventions because of established resources and the potential for intrinsic motivation.

Objective: The purpose of this research was to assess the current efforts of churches to influence health by surveying students of a Baptist liberal arts university in Southwest Arkansas.

Methods: Before conducting the survey, the study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of Ouachita Baptist University. The questionnaire included basic demographic information and a series of statements with Likert scales. Sixty-six individuals were recruited …

Comparison Of International Student's Dietary Intake In The United States Versus In The Student's Home Country, Gail Lange-Smith, Sydney Van Scyoc

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

International students studying at universities in the United States are subject to experiencing dietary acculturation while adapting to American food and culture. Such changes in eating patterns and behaviors are difficult to prevent and can negatively affect weight and health status. In this study, international students at a small, private college in Southwest Arkansas completed a questionnaire to assess the difference between their intake at home and intake in America. The students were found to have made undesirable changes in their eating patterns, and perceived an American style diet to be unhealthy. Students indicated that since living in America, they …

The Eating Habits Of College Females And How Stress Affects Eating Behavior, Rachel Russom, Abigail Fontenot

Dietetics and Nutrition Class Publications

Background College females experience much stress from a variety of areas in their lives. Often times this stress affects usual eating behaviors and may even lead to disordered eating habits.

Objectives To examine whether stress affects the eating habits of college females in this study and how their eating is affected. We assumed that stress would affect eating habits. We also examined how stress makes a person a feel and if that can influence or contribute to disordered eating habits.

Participants/setting Sixty-two women from Tri-Chi women’s social club at Ouachita Baptist University completed a questionnaire October 16, 2017. The participants …

Nutritional And Behavioral Repercussions Of Food Insecurity And The Impact Of Nutrition Education, Kelly Burgess

Mahurin Honors College Capstone Experience/Thesis Projects

Food insecurity occurs when an individual does not have consistent access to fresh, nutritious food in safe, socially acceptable, and affordable ways. This is a significant challenge facing Kentuckians, with one in six adults and one in four children experiencing some degree of food insecurity. The present study examines the effectiveness of customized nutrition education in improving 1) nutrition-related behaviors associated with food insecurity and 2) management of household food supply in food-insecure individuals with and without children. Participants were recruited through HOTEL INC, and one was from a household without children and one with children. A pre-assessment survey evaluated …

Development Of A Process Approach For Retaining Seaweed Sugar Kelp (Saccharina Latissima) Nutrients, Emily Duran-Frontera

Honors College

Sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) is a marine macroalgae that contains a rich source of fibers, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. However, systematic studies on the effects of dehydration and drying on the kelp composition and quality attributes are limited. The aim of this research is to investigate the effects of process parameters of a convective air-oven on the quality and nutritional attributes of dried sugar kelp. The study evaluated the effects of hot air drying temperature, humidity and time on the physicochemical properties (water activity, moisture content, pH, color, water holding capacity, oil holding capacity, ash content, fat content and vitamin …

Engaging Parents To Promote Children’S Nutrition And Health: Providers’ Barriers And Strategies In Head Start And Child Care Centers, Dipti A. Dev, Courtney Byrd-Williams, Samantha Ramsay, Brent A. Mcbride, Deepa Srivastava, Ashleigh L. Murriel, Chrisa Arcan, Anna M. Adachi-Mejia

Department of Child, Youth, and Family Studies: Faculty Publications

Purpose: Using the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics benchmarks as a framework, this study examined childcare providers’ (Head Start [HS], Child and Adult Care Food Program [CACFP] funded, and non-CACFP) perspectives regarding communicating with parents about nutrition to promote children’s health.

Design: Qualitative.

Setting: State-licensed center-based childcare programs.

Participants: Full-time childcare providers (n ¼ 18) caring for children 2 to 5 years old from varying childcare contexts (HS, CACFP funded, and non-CACFP), race, education, and years of experience.

Methods: In-person interviews using semi-structured interview protocol until saturation were achieved. Thematic analysis was conducted.

Results: Two overarching themes were barriers and …

‘Project Spraoi’: A Randomized Control Trial To Improve Nutrition And Physical Activity In School Children, Tara Coppinger, Seán Lacey, Cian O'Neill, Con Burns

Publications

Background

Recent evidence predicts that by 2030, Ireland will have the highest rate of obesity in Europe. Consequently, there are concerns that health problems associated with this condition will present in childhood. Studies have shown that interventions based on increasing physical activity (PA) levels, reducing sedentary lifestyles and improving nutritional habits all pose protective mechanisms against obesity and its related disorders in youth. Yet, to date, there are no interventions being delivered in Ireland that concurrently target PA, nutritional habits and sedentary time amongst school children.

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to implement and evaluate an intervention that …

Veggiecation: A Novel Approach To Improve Vegetable Consumption Among School-Aged Children, Yeon Bai, Lisa Suriano, Shahla M. Wunderlich

Department of Nutrition and Food Studies Scholarship and Creative Works

Children's general preference for sweeter foods and aversion to bitter vegetables is explained partly by fear of new food and social and cultural influences. Reluctance to eat new foods is related to unfavorable facial expressions and is often learned from the child's family, social circle, and culture.1 Researchers report that the fruit and vegetable consumption of children 6–12 years of age is associated with the accessibility and availability.2 School-based interventions that combine classroom curricula, parental, and nutrition service components show the greatest promise for fruit and vegetable promotion among children.

Demographic Change And Response: Social Context And The Practice Of Birth Control In Six Countries, Sangeeta Parashar, Harriet B. Presser, Megan L. Klein Hattori, Sara Raley, Zhihong Sa

Department of Sociology Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

This paper expands on Kingsley Davis’s demographic thesis of change and re- sponse. Specifically, we consider the social context that accounts for the primacy of particular birth control methods that bring about fertility change during specific time periods. We examine the relevance of state policy (including national family planning programs), the international population establishment, the medical profession, organized religion, and women’s groups using case studies from Japan, Russia, Puerto Rico, China, India, and Cameroon. Some of these countries are undergoing the second demographic transition, others the first. Despite variations in context, heavy reliance on sterilization and/or abortion as a means …