Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition Commons^™

Fruit And Vegetable Availability, Nutrition Education And Access Amongst Food Pantries In California, Maine, Mississippi And South Dakota, Sarah L. Fowler

All Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Other Capstone Projects

This descriptive study explored the views of food pantry directors in four states regarding pantry fruit and vegetable stock and supply, nutrition education offered, and current practices and perceived barriers to providing access to food pantries to low-income individuals and families in need. This study examined these variables by surveying staff at the food pantries who have direct contact with the individuals and families who utilize the pantries. All survey responses were collected utilizing Qualtrics software and then analyzed in SPSS. There were 87 respondents from four different states, California, Maine, Mississippi, and South Dakota.

The reporting for both fresh …

Supporting Nutrition For Australian Childcare (Snac): The Development, Implementation And Evaluation Of An Online Nutrition Education Intervention, Ruth Wallace

Theses: Doctorates and Masters

The provision of a nutritious diet in a child’s early years can have an immense effect on their future health and wellbeing. Due to the increasing number of children attending child care, this setting is strategically placed for teaching children important food literacy skills and establishing positive eating habits, which remain through to adulthood. However, food served in child care facilities is often not of the best nutritional quality (Zuercher, Grace, & Kranz, 2011) and there is lack of positive role modelling among staff. Both of these factors pose obstacles to a health-promoting environment for the children who attend.

The …

An Evaluation Of The Screening And Management Of Childhood Overweight And Obesity In The Primary Care Setting, Diane L. Crutcher

DNP Projects

Background: Worldwide, the World Health Organization (2016) estimates that forty-two million children from two to five years of age are overweight or obese. In the United States, Kentucky ranks sixth for the highest rate of overweight youth in the nation (Partnership for Fit Kentucky, 2009). The long term consequences of overweight and obesity are early onset of adult chronic diseases as well as social and psychological issues in childhood and adulthood.

Purpose: The objective of this gap analysis was to assess BMI screening and weight management of children ages two to five who presented for a well-child check …

Educated Birth: Beliefs Vs. Outcomes, Lauren Presley

Human Nutrition and Hospitality Management Undergraduate Honors Theses

“Our infant mortality rate is a national embarrassment.”¹ The words seem shocking and harsh across the headline of a 2014 Washington Post article. The thought of America not only not being the best at something, but falling upsettingly behind, is a foreign concept to many who view America as a nation inferior to none. However, the statistics on infant mortality rate tell the stark truth that of 26 “wealthy” countries, the U.S. ranks last, with a sobering 6.1 deaths per 1,000 live infant births.²

Part of the Healthy People 2020 Objectives is to reduce the rate of infant …

The Dietary Habits And Nutrition Education Levels Of Parents Of Pre-School Children At A Community Head Start Program, Lisa Renee Keys

Kaleidoscope

The health of America’s youth is jeopardized as obesity, often beginning in childhood, becomes a major epidemic. Parents have exceptional influence on their children, especially nutritionally, which impacts how their children grow and develop. Parents with minimal nutrition education and who do not practice healthy eating habits may unintentionally influence their children in practices that could lead to nutrition-related disease and/or obesity. This research evaluated the dietary habits and nutrition knowledge of parents of preschoolers at a community Head Start program in Lexington, KY, which served a high percentage of Hispanic children. The parents were given a survey evaluating their …

Blood Inorganic Mercury Is Directly Associated With Glucose Levels In The Human Population And May Be Linked To Processed Food Intake, Renee Dufault, Zara Berg, Raquel Crider, Roseanne Schnoll, Larry Wetsit, Wayne Two Bulls, Steven G. Gilbert, H.M. “Skip” Kingston, Mesay Mulugeta Wolle, G.M. Mizanur Rahman, Dan R. Laks

Publications and Research

Background: The goals of the study were (1) to determine the impact of inorganic mercury exposure on glucose homeostasis; and (2) to evaluate the effectiveness of two community-based interventions in promoting dietary changes among American Indian college students to reduce risk factors for Type-2 Diabetes including fasting glucose, insulin, and mercury levels, weight, and body mass index.

Methods: To accomplish goal one, the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) dataset was analyzed using a previously published method to determine if there is a relationship between inorganic blood mercury and fasting glucose. To accomplish goal two, ten college students were …

Maternal Obesity And Incidence Of Depression, Caroline A. Habjan

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Obesity is a national epidemic in the United States, which both directly and indirectly affects the social productivity of individuals, the American macro economy and individuals’ personal health and well being. Depression often interferes with an individual’s ability to work, sleep, study, eat, and enjoy life. A maternal state of both obesity and depression may cause serious adverse medical conditions in the mother’s child. Taking steps to treat depression and obesity are critical in the construct of modern medicine. This project yields results that have the potential to make treatment options better tailored, more efficient, effective and economically-sound for the …

The Skinny On Eating Attitudes, Body Image, And The Thin-Ideal In College Women, Lyndsay N. Greene

Undergraduate Theses and Capstone Projects

There is evidence of a link between body image and disordered eating among females, and some research that suggests exposure to the media exacerbates both body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. Despite these claims, little research has been done on the effects that exposure to photo-shopped images specifically has on body dissatisfaction and eating pathology. The present study sought to further understand the relationship between cognitive distortions of body image and eating attitudes and to examine the effects that exposure to the thin-ideal found in the media has on body dissatisfaction among college aged women. Eighty female college students answered questions …

Comparison Of Body Composition Assessment Techniques In Older Adult Females, Lauren Yacapraro

Honors Projects

Comparison of Body Composition Assessment Techniques in Older Adult Females

Introduction: As the aging population increases, the need for accurate assessment of chronic disease risk also increases. There is considerable debate over the best way to assess this risk. BMI is a weight-to-height ratio that is commonly used to assess adiposity and obesity related risk. However, it does not differentiate lean (i.e., muscle and bone) versus fat mass – the true predictors of obesity-related diseases (e.g., cardiovascular disease and diabetes). This is prevalent in post-menopausal women who often experience age-related gains in fat mass and losses in lean mass.

Methods: …

Saludableomaha: Improving Readiness To Address Obesity Through Healthy Lifestyle In A Midwestern Latino Community, 2011–2013, Leah Frerichs, Jeri Brittin, Regina Robbins, Sharalyn Steenson, Catherine Stewart, Christopher Fisher, Terry T-K Huang

Publications and Research

Background A community’s readiness for change is a precursor to the effective application of evidence-based practices for health promotion. Research is lacking regarding potential strategies to improve readiness to address obesity-related health issues in underserved communities.

Community Context This case study describes SaludABLEOmaha, an initiative to increase readiness of residents in a Midwestern Latino community to address obesity and adopt healthy lifestyles.

Methods SaludABLEOmaha emphasized 2 core approaches, youth activism and collaboration among public and private institutions, which we applied to planning and implementing tactics in support of 3 interconnected strategies: 1) social marketing and social media, 2) service learning …

Experiences With Weight Loss Triggers In Women Prescribed To Lose Weight By Their Physician, Mark D. Faries, Elizabeth Espie, Erik Gnagy, Kyle P. Mcmorries

Faculty Publications

Background: With the global rise of individuals classified as overweight and obese, weight-related screenings have been promoted to combat their high prevalence and associated health problems. Hopefully, such screenings can act as a ‘trigger’ for health behavior change, however little is known about the experience of weight loss triggers.
Objectives: The aim of this study was to elaborate on the experiences and meanings of weight-control triggers in a sample of overweight women prescribed by their physician to lose weight.
Patients and Methods: We conducted exploratory qualitative interviews, grounded in phenomenological practices, to elaborate on the experience and meaning of weight …

Linking The Home And Neighborhood Food Environments Regarding Dietary Intake Among Rural Adolescents, Matthew James Saulnier

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Home availability of both healthful and unhealthful foods may influence consumption among rural adolescent populations. In conjunction, the availability of food in an individual’s local food environment has the potential to significantly impact what is procured for the home and eaten away from the home. The purpose of this study was to determine how in-store food availability and parental purchases influences home availability and, ultimately, dietary intake among adolescents. This study measured perceived home availability, using the University of Minnesota Project EAT Survey, and dietary intake, using the NHANES Dietary Screener Questionnaire, of (n=28) adolescent participants in two Kentucky counties …

Nutritional Assessment Of Preschool Children In An Urban Ecuadorian Community, Elizabeth A. Bronner

Theses and Dissertations--Nutrition and Food Systems

Objectives: The goal of this project was to determine the nutritional needs of preschool age children to help guide intervention development. The research aims were 1) to examine and describe young child (ages one to five) nutritional status as it relates to key nutrients associated with stunting and wasting; 2) to determine what key macro- and micro-nutrient deficiencies (primarily iron and zinc) are associated with wasting and stunting.

Methodology:

Study sample: Sixty-seven families with children ages one to five who participating in routine health care clinic visits during the UK Shoulder to Shoulder Global health brigade visits.

Study …

Scientific And Regulatory Policy Committee (Srpc) Review*: Interpretation And Use Of Cell Proliferation Data In Cancer Risk Assessment, Charles E. Wood, Renee R. Hukkanen, Radhakrisha Sura, David Jacobson-Kram, Thomas Nolte, Marielle Odin, Samuel M. Cohen

United States Food and Drug Administration: Publications

Increased cell proliferation is a central key event in the mode of action for many non-genotoxic carcinogens, and quantitative cell proliferation data play an important role in the cancer risk assessment of many pharmaceutical and environmental compounds. Currently, there is limited unified information on assay standards, reference values, targeted applications, study design issues, and quality control considerations for proliferation data. Here, we review issues in measuring cell proliferation indices, considerations for targeted studies, and applications within current risk assessment frameworks. As the regulatory environment moves toward more prospective evaluations based on quantitative pathway-based models, standardiza- tion of proliferation assays will …

Project Spraoi: A Strategy To Improve Nutrition And Increase Physical Activity In Primary School Children, Lisa Delaney

Masters

Introduction: Paediatric obesity has become a global epidemic with many countries developing strategies to help tackle its prevalence. School based physical activity (PA) and nutrition interventions have proven to play a promising role in tackling childhood obesity.

Background: Project Spraoi is an Irish primary school based intervention. The intervention was delivered to an intervention school to help enhance PA and nutritional behaviour amongst pupils. The intervention school was assigned an ‘Energizer’; a trained PA and nutrition change agent who worked with the school to achieve the objectives. For evaluation purposes a control school was recruited.

Methodology: Pupils from the intervention …

Are New Sodium Targets In The National School Lunch Program Feasible And Are They Necessary?, Yaneve Shemesh

PCOM Biomedical Studies Student Scholarship

In many societies, high salt intake is a continuing issue in adults, and is of growing concern in children due to the prevalence of processed foods. In response, the USDA has set three targets for sodium in meals offered in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), and the National School Breakfast Program (NSBP). This 8-year goal is meant to decrease overall sodium levels in both meal programs. However, many associated with school nutrition ask if there is significant evidence to show what effect sodium plays on children’s health, and thus determine if these targets are necessary or achievable. In addressing …

United States Food Insecurity And The Need For Improved Nutrition And Additional Nutrition Education In Local Food Assistance Programs, Carissa Hohider, Elizabeth Sain

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

No abstract provided.

Social Contexts Of Infant Feeding And Infant Feeding Decisions, Ellen J. Schafer, Natalie A. Williams, Siri Digney, Marion E. Hare, Sato Ashida

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

Background: Infant feeding takes place within a network of social relationships. However, the social context in which infant feeding advice is received remains underresearched.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the social contexts of infant feeding by examining individual and relationship characteristics of mothers and network members associated with advice to exclusively breastfeed, exclusively formula feed, or use a combination of breast milk and formula.

Methods: Information about 287 network members was reported by 80 low-income mothers during a one-time survey. Characteristics of relationships associated with mothers receiving advice (exclusively breastfeed/formula feed, combination feed) from each network …

Discordant Documentation Of Obesity Body Mass Index And Obesity Diagnosis In Electronic Medical Records, Jennifer T. Fink, George L. Morris Iii, Maharaj Singh, David A. Nelson, Renee E. Walker, Ron A. Cisler

Journal of Patient-Centered Research and Reviews

Purpose: This study examined concordance between presence of obesity body mass index (BMI), defined as BMI ≥ 30, in the patient’s electronic medical record (EMR) and a documented diagnosis of obesity.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the EMR in a large health care system for a 1-year period (2012). A total of 397,313 patients met the study criteria of having at least one physician visit, being at least 18 years of age, and not being pregnant. Of those, 158,327 (40%) had a recorded BMI ≥ 30. We examined the EMR of these obese patients to determine whether a …

Antecedents Of Regular Exercise Among Women Who Do And Do Not Achieve Weight Loss Over Six Months, Heather Vartanian

Dissertations (1934 -)

In the United States, 35.5% of adult women are classified as obese, defined as a body mass index (BMI) of > 30 kg/m2. The health risks associated with obesity can be mitigated through losing even 5-10% of initial body weight. Evidence shows that reductions in caloric intake alone without increases in caloric expenditure leads to a decline in resting metabolic rate, thereby impeding attainment or maintenance of weight loss. The purpose of this cross-sectional, mixed-methods study was to explore the antecedents of regular exercise among women with obesity who did and did not achieve weight loss over six months. The antecedents …

Psychosocial Food-Related Behavior And Food Intake Of Adult Main Meal Preparers Of Food For 9-10 Year-Old Children Participating In Icook, A Five-State Childhood Obesity Pilot Prevention Study, Ashley A. Miller

College of Education and Human Sciences: Dissertations, Theses, and Student Research

Understanding adult outcomes of programs aimed at childhood obesity prevention is necessary because parents/caregivers are the most important influence on a child’s physical activity and eating habits. Based on the principles of the social cognitive theory, the iCook 4-H pilot study taught dyads consisting of 9-10 year-old children and their primary meal preparers cooking skills, healthy shopping and meal habits, and easy ways to incorporate physical activity as a family. The program took place in five states, Maine, Nebraska, South Dakota, Tennessee, and West Virginia. In each state, adult-youth dyads (n = 54) were recruited by 4-H programs and nutrition …

Obesity Indicators And C - Reactive Protein In African And Haitian Americans With And Without Type 2 Diabetes, Fatma G. Huffman, Joan A. Vaccaro, T. M. Rowe, Gustavo G. Zarini, Shiryn D. Sukhram, Lemia H. Shaban, Susan Himburg

Publications and Research

Purpose: High sensitivity C-reactive protein (CRP) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease based on finding in primarily non-Hispanic White populations. Obesity, another risk factor for cardiovascular disease, is higher in Blacks as compared to non-Hispanic Whites. The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between CRP, a marker of systemic inflammation, and obesity indicators by ethnicity, diabetes status and gender for two Black ethnicities.

Methods: Anthropometrics and venous blood were collected for African and Haitian Americans with and without type 2 diabetes in a cross-sectional study. A total of 434 participants; 190 African Americans, 244 Haitian Americans, …

Physical Activity And Nutritional Behavior Of Overweight College Students Trying To Lose Weight 2014, Santino Vallejos M.S.

Master's Theses

Although there are numerous benefits to increased physical activity and proper dietary behaviors, the decreased participation in physical activity and poor dietary behaviors has emerged as a significant problem within the college student population. The focus of this research study was to identify the relationship between physical activity and dietary behavior to weight loss behaviors within an undergraduate student sample of a small, comprehensive northeastern university. College-aged students (age range: 17 to 27 years old) completed the American College Health Association’s (ACHA) National College Health Assessment II (NCHA) during the years 2009 and 2012. According to the results, there were …

Validity And Reliability Testing Of The National Health And Nutrition Examination Survey (Nhanes) Taste And Smell Protocol, Mallory Honda

Honors Scholar Theses

The NHANES 2011–2014 protocol includes a taste and smell questionnaire (CSQ) in the home interview followed by brief olfactory and taste assessment in mobile exam centers. The CSQ asks self-reported taste and smell ability, and selected symptoms, comorbidities, and treatment for chemosensory disorders. In the taste assessment, participants rate intensities of 1 M NaCl and 1mM quinine hydrochloride applied to the tongue tip and these plus 0.32M NaCl sampled with the whole mouth. Smell function is assessed with two 4-item, scratch-and-sniff tests (Pocket Tests^TM (PT), Sensonics, Inc.) to classify normosmia and olfactory dysfunction from microsmia to anosmia. We examined …

The Proliferation Of Diabetes: A Cultural Epidemiological Review Of Type 2 Diabetes In The Global Community, Kelly Heuer

Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All

Global diabetes is a serious and growing problem, which has quickly turned into a public health crisis. The rapid spread of type 2 diabetes can be contributed to several different factors, including genetics, environmental influences, poor nutrition habits, and sedentary lifestyle. A large part of the proliferation of this diease is the spread of western culture, specifically diet.

A problem faced when addressing this disease from a global standpoint of prevention, control, and treatment is that type 2 diabetes affects different cultures in different manners around the globe due to differences in risk factors (including genetics, age, race, sex, education, …

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative, Kathryn E. Brackett

Senior Honors Theses

Abstract

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a worldwide movement started by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) that is aimed at providing hospitals with a certification that guarantees the best possible patient-centered care for mothers and infants. It focuses on breastfeeding as optimal infant nutrition, and implements strategies to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed their infants exclusively for six months after birth. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are a set of 10 simple, easy to understand guidelines developed by WHO and UNICEF for implementing this initiative in the hospital setting and …

An Analysis Of The Weight Watchers And Atkins Diets: The Effects Of Calorie Restriction And Nutrition Levels, Heather Brown

Senior Honors Theses

The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a calorie-restricted diet versus one with restricted food groups. To accomplish this, a survey with 19 participants, age ranging from 25 to 74 years, was taken for people who attempted Weight Watchers, a calorie-restricted diet, and Atkins, a low-carbohydrate diet. The success rates of each of these diets will be compared and analyzed in this study. Participants reported short-term and long-term weight loss results. For the data analysis, descriptive statistics and two independent t-tests were performed. For short-term weight loss on Atkins, M = 20.25, and on Weight …

Defining Obesity: An Argument For The Social Environment Perspective, Meghan Mcinnis

Annual Undergraduate Conference on Health and Society

It is well documented that obesity is a growing problem in the U.S. and worldwide. By 2010, 35.9% of U.S. adults age 20 and older were obese (Overweight and Obesity, CDC). Obesity has been associated with many health problems, including hypertension, type 2 diabetes, osteoarthritis, stroke, and cardiac disease (Lucey, 2008, p.202). What has just been described is the traditional, medicalized narrative of obesity. In this narrative, obesity is viewed as an epidemic that demands an immediate and widespread response (Lucey, 2008, p.202). The blame is placed largely on individuals, while social factors, such as socioeconomic status and neighborhood environment, …

A Pilot Academic-Community Partnership To Advance The D.C. Healthy Schools Act, Nisha Narayanan, Jonathan Tatum, Margarita Ramos, Jessica Kim, Nisha Punatar, Michele L. Mietus-Snyder

GW Research Days 2014

No abstract provided.

Testing The Health And Exercise Knowledge Of Bowling Green State University Students, Veronica Rasicci

Honors Projects

Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and the problem is only continuing to grow (Flegal, 2006). Young adult college students are at a time in their lives where behaviors can more easily change than during other ages. They also are at a point in their lives where their current behaviors will influence the habits that they continue into later adulthood (Racette, Deusinger, Strube, & Highstein, 2012). Education is one way to promote healthy changes by college students. It is important to find out what knowledge of health and exercise college students already have. I developed a questionnaire with content-related validity and …