Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Toxic Effects Of Lead Disposal In Water: An Analysis Of Tri Facility Releases, Patrick Koval

Economics Department Working Papers

Using county-level TRI data from 2003 to 2016, I find evidence that lead emissions in water adversely affect birth weights within the emitting county, especially with respect to the percentage of births considered low birth weight within that county (less than 2,500 grams). I find that a one percent increase in lead emissions per square mile increases the proportion of low birth weights by 0.27 percentage points. For a county with an average number of births in a particular year, this one percent increase in lead per square mile translates to an additional $475,000 in hospitalization costs from complications with …

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, …

Correcting For The Inconveniences Of Cultivation: Foraging As A Food Source In Southwestern Burkina Faso, Julia Deryn Morgan

Geography Honors Projects

Malnutrition is an important public health issue in Burkina Faso where 30 % of children are underweight for their age and 92% suffer from iron deficiency. Such statistics indicate that there is a significant lack of adequate nutrition in the country. With approximately 80% of the population employed in the agricultural sector, development projects have focused on increasing agricultural production and commercializing output to ameliorate poor nutrition. However, this strategy ignores the importance of local knowledge and food traditions, most notably by neglecting to acknowledge foraging as a significant source of food. To address this concern, I seek to understand …

Proper Nutrition And Its Potential As Alternative Treatment Of Depression, Delaney Passmore

Honors Theses – Charlotte Campus

Within the last two decades, a lot of research has been conducted to determine the factors that cause and prevent depression. This is important because the diagnostic count for mental diseases is rapidly increasing due to the stresses and unhealthy habits of many people. So far, researchers have come up with causes such as life-altering events, genetics, chemical imbalances in the brain, and lack of nutritional requirements. Many argue that all of these factors have something to do with why a person starts experiencing depressive symptoms. During tragic or uncontrollable events, such as a death in the family, it is …

Food Insecurity At A Four-Year College Campus, Danielle Corrado

School of Public Policy Capstones

This paper, through an adaption of the United States Department of Agriculture Adult Food Security survey tool, aims to identify food insecurity rates at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the demographic characteristics associated with food insecurity, potential financial factors that contribute and predict food insecurity rates, and the relationship between food insecurity and academic performance. Lastly, this paper examines on and off campus resources available to students and students perception of food insecurity before college as compared to actual food security status in college.

Promoting Healthy Diets: Challenges And Opportunities Of Nutrition Policy Implementation In Food Banks, Sarah Brown-Anson, Elizabeth Leibinger, Hadassah Masudi Minga

School of Public Policy Capstones

In recent years, food banks have grown increasingly aware of the role diet plays in wide-spread public health issues such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and obesity. Food banks already purchase healthy foods directly and select nutritious items distributed by government programs such as The Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP). Recently, some banks have implemented nutrition policies to regulate donations made by businesses and individuals to further decrease the volume of less healthy options in their warehouses.

This study explores the challenges and opportunities associated to the implementation of nutrition policies for donated food items by Food Banks in the USA. …

Envisioning A Watertown For All Ages, Caitlin Coyle

Center for Social and Demographic Research on Aging Publications

Watertown for All Ages is a group of residents working to improve the livability of Watertown for residents of all ages and abilities. They work closely with the Watertown Council on Aging/Senior Center. The Watertown Council on Aging/Senior Center provides a variety of social, health, educational, recreational, advocacy, and support programs designed to help Watertown’s older adults age well in the community. Services provided to seniors living in the community range from transportation support to nutrition services and social services, along with a range of programs and activities meant to enhance well-being and quality of life. Similar to many Councils …

Social Medicine And International Expert Networks In Latin America, 1930–1945, Eric D. Carter

Faculty Publications

This paper examines the international networks that influenced ideas and policy in social medicine in the 1930s and 1940s in Latin America, focusing on institutional networks organised by the League of Nations Health Organization, the International Labour Organization, and the Pan-American Sanitary Bureau. After examining the architecture of these networks, this paper traces their influence on social and health policy in two policy domains: social security and nutrition. Closer scrutiny of a series of international conferences and local media accounts of them reveals that international networks were not just ‘conveyor belts’ for policy ideas from the industrialised countries of the …