Matching Items (27)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Health
- All Subjects: Cycling
- All Subjects: Wellness
- All Subjects: Food
- Creators: School of Nutrition and Health Promotion
Description
University students currently lack sufficient knowledge and resources needed to support healthy eating patterns and nutrition. Comparison of the number of registered dietitians that are available to all students, along with the number of wellness events that are held at each university within the Pacific-12 conference will help determine which schools are best able to support their students' needs. Data was collected using a Google forms survey sent via email to wellness directors of each of the universities in the Pac-12 conference. Eight out of the twelve schools in the conference responded to the survey. The average number of dietitians available to all students (regardless of athlete status) was found to be 1.43 dietitians. Of the schools that responded, the University of Colorado, Boulder, has the most resources dedicated to student nutrition wellness with three dietitians available for all undergraduate students, free dietitian services, and approximately 150 wellness events each year. The success of available nutrition wellness resources was inconclusive as schools did not provide the information regarding student utilization and attendance. Future university promoted nutrition wellness programs should increase the number of affordable dietitians and total wellness events, as well as promote student health services through social media platforms to improve student nutrition knowledge and usage of resources.
ContributorsCurtin, Anne Clare (Author) / Dixon, Kathleen (Thesis director) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Forty collegiate gymnasts were recruited for a nutrition and health study. Participants must have been at least eighteen years old at Arizona State University (ASU) in the club or team gymnastics program. The Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviewed and accepted my survey in order to hand out to the gymnasts. The ASU club and team coach and the ASU study team also approved my survey. As soon as the survey was approved, it was emailed to all of the gymnasts. ASU gymnasts were surveyed on nutritional knowledge and personal health. Subjects answered a quiz on nutrient needs and serving sizes. Personal questions consisted of height, weight, injuries, body image, and typical meal plans. Gymnasts were given a $10 compensation to increase the participation. We found that only 16% of gymnasts surveyed scored a 70% or higher on their nutritional knowledge. Although these gymnasts do not have adequate knowledge, the majority consume a healthy diet. Diets included fruits, vegetables, protein-rich foods, and few high fat and sugary foods. Four of the gymnasts had one or fewer injuries in the past two years, although, four gymnasts also had three or more injuries. No correlation was found between diet and injuries. There was also no correlation between the gymnast's nutritional knowledge and their health.
ContributorsKugler, Natalie K. (Author) / Levinson, Simin (Thesis director) / Berger, Christopher (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
According to the CDC, diabetes is the 7th leading cause of death in the U.S. and rates are continuing to rise nationally and internationally. Chronically elevated blood glucose levels can lead to type 2 diabetes and other complications. Medications can be used to treat diabetes, but often have side effects. Lifestyle and diet modifications can be just as effective as medications in helping to improve glycemic control, and prevent diabetes or improve the condition in those who have it. Studies have demonstrated that consuming vinegar with carbohydrates can positively impact postprandial glycemia in diabetic and healthy individuals. Continuous vinegar intake with meals may even reduce fasting blood glucose levels. Since vinegar is a primary ingredient in mustard, the purpose of this study was to determine if mustard consumption with a carbohydrate-rich meal (bagel and fruit juice) had an effect on the postprandial blood glucose levels of subjects. The results showed that mustard improved glycemia by 17% when subjects consumed the meal with mustard as opposed to the control. A wide variety of vinegars exists. The defining ingredient in all vinegars is acetic acid, behind the improvement in glycemic response observed with vinegar ingestion. Vinegar-containing foods range from mustard, to vinaigrette dressings, to pickled foods. The benefits of vinegar ingestion with carbohydrates are dose-dependent, meaning that adding even small amounts to meals can help. Making a conscious effort to incorporate these foods into meals, in addition to an overall healthy lifestyle, could provide an additional tool for diabetics and nondiabetics alike to consume carbohydrates in a healthier manner.
ContributorsJimenez, Gabriela (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
This study examined the effect of an 8-week exercise intervention on functional exercise capacity in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). Forty participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups: assisted cycling (ACT) (n = 17) where participants experienced at least a 35% increase in their voluntary cycling speed through the use of a motor, voluntary cycling (VC) (n = 15) where participants cycled at a self-selected cadence, and no cycling (NC) (n = 8) where participants did not participate in any cycling intervention. In each cycling intervention, each participant completed three, 30 minute cycling sessions per week for a total of eight weeks. The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT) was administered prior to and after the 8-week intervention in pre-test and post-test assessment sessions, respectively. Our hypothesis was somewhat supported in that functional exercise capacity improved after ACT as measured by an increase in total number of laps walked, total distance walked, and average walking speed during the 6MWT, when compared to VC or NC.
ContributorsCook, Megan Rey (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Huberty, Jennifer (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
How are perceptions of morality and disgust regarding meat consumption related to each other? Which factor is more salient in determining one's willingness to eat the meat of a specific animal? How do these answers vary across religious groups? This study investigates the ways that concepts like morality and disgust are related to food preferences and hopes to shed light on the mechanisms that enforce culturally sanctioned food taboos. The study compares 4 groups of people in the U.S.: Christians (n = 39), Hindus (n = 29), Jews (n = 23), and non-religious people (n = 63). A total of 154 participants were given surveys in which they rated their feelings about eating various animals. Data from Christian and non-religious groups exhibited similar patterns such as a high likelihood of eating a given animal when starving, while results from Jews and Hindus were consistent with their religion's respective food taboos. Despite these differences, morality and disgust are strongly correlated with one another in almost all instances. Moreover, morality and disgust are almost equally important considerations when determining willingness to eat when starving.
ContributorsParekh, Shaili Rajul (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Hugh Downs School of Human Communication (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This study examines cognitive and motor function in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS) following an 8-week assisted cycling therapy intervention. Forty-four participants were randomly assigned to three groups consisting of an assisted cycling (AC) (i.e., exercise accomplished through the use of a motor), a voluntary cycling (VC) (self-selected cadence), and a no cycling (NC) control group. Both ACT and VC groups rode a stationary bicycle for three 30-minute sessions a week, for a total of eight weeks. Participants completed cognitive testing that assessed information processing and manual dexterity at the beginning and at the end of the 8-week intervention. Consistent with our hypothesis, the results showed that information processing and manual dexterity improved following 8 weeks of cycling for the ACT group. These results were not seen for individuals in the voluntary and non-exercise groups. Our results suggest that assisted cycling therapy may induce permanent changes in the prefrontal cortex in adolescents with DS.
ContributorsJimenez, Andrew (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Kulinna, Pamela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Introduction/Purpose: This paper describes the process of the community needs assessment phase of program implementation for the Student Health Outreach for Wellness (SHOW) clinic. Homeless individuals are more likely (than non homeless individuals) to experience serious illness, depression and mental illness. Access to health care has been identified as a barrier to receiving appropriate health care to manage the diseases and conditions clients may have. SHOW's vision is to operate on Saturdays utilizing Health Care for the Homeless (HCH) to offer extended primary health care hours, along with offering health promotion programming to address the biopsychosocial components of their health. Ultimately, this aims to reduce the homeless population's need to visit emergency room departments for non- urgent, primary care visits. Methods: To validate the need for this clinic's operation of programming and health services, a community needs assessment was conducted to collect data about the population's current health status. Forty-three people (n=43) ages 20-76 (M = 44.87) were surveyed by a trained research team using interview questionnaires. Results: The results show a prevalence of self\u2014reported physical and behavioral conditions, and support that this population would benefit from extended hours of care. Mental and behavioral health conditions are the most prevalent conditions (with the highest rates of depression (41.86%) and anxiety disorder (32.56%)), followed by the common cold (23.36%) and back pain (16.28%). The average reported emergency department (ED) visits within the past six months was 1.18 times. Almost everyone surveyed would visit a free medical clinic on the Human Services Campus (HSC) staffed by health staff and health professional students on the weekends (93.18%). Conclusion: Overall, the community needs assessment conducted for SHOW supports the need for weekend access to health care facilities and an interest in health programming for this population.
ContributorsShqalsi, Eneida Agustin (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Harrell, Susan (Committee member) / Harper, Erin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
College students who may be living on their own for the first time are faced with a slew of new challenges, which include making healthy lifestyle choices. The purpose of this study involves investigating how well Arizona State University freshmen students take care of their health (regarding nutrition, purposeful exercise, alcohol consumption and sleep patterns) compared to other college freshmen throughout the United States. This study used data from the ASU Wellness department and the American College Health Association (ACHA) to compare these aspects of health and find out which areas ASU health promotions efforts should focus on to help educate freshmen and improve their health for the future. The writer also researched past studies to find the best ways to communicate health information to college freshmen via online media. Findings indicate both ASU freshmen and students from various U.S. universities fall short of meeting current health recommendations, and a need exists for further research to identify the best practices to effectively reach these students through the Internet and commonly used online platforms.
ContributorsKunkel, Katie Lynn (Author) / Chiarelli, Dean (Thesis director) / Aguila, Holly (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The purpose of the study was to examine the effectiveness of two modes of exercise on depression in adolescents with Down syndrome (DS). Twelve participants randomly completed one of two exercise interventions. The interventions were: 1) Voluntary Cycling (VC), in which participants cycled at their self-selected pedaling rate 2) Assisted Cycling (AC), in which the participants' voluntary pedaling rates were augmented with a motor to ensure the maintenance of 80 rpms. In each intervention, the participant completed three cycling sessions each week for a total of eight weeks. Depression scores did decrease or improved after both AC and VC, but not significantly. There was a greater mean improvement for participants in the AC group than VC when analyzing total score and t-score. Future research will include a greater sample size and control group to reach significant results as well as try and reveal the mechanisms involved in these mental health improvements found after an acute bout of assisted cycling in adolescents with DS.
ContributorsTeslevich, Jennifer Lynn (Author) / Ringenbach, Shannon (Thesis director) / Kulinna, Pamela (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2013-12
Description
Dancers tend to injure the anterior cruciate ligament in their left leg more often than the right. It is unclear whether this trend is due to biased choreography or if leg dominance and left versus right asymmetries are contributing factors. The purpose of this study was to investigate asymmetries between the left and right leg, in knee abduction during landing, hip external rotation (ER) and internal rotation (IR) strength, and hip ER and IR range of motion in dancers compared to non-dancers. This study aimed to determine whether these asymmetries can be linked to leg dominance, and if this puts one leg at higher risk for ACL injury. Ten dancers and eleven non-dancers performed three maximal effort countermovement vertical jumps off of two feet, as well as three maximal effort single leg jumps on each leg. Knee abduction angles during the landing phase of the jumps were calculated using motion capture data. Maximum isometric hip ER and IR strength was measured at 15, 30, 45, 60, and 90 of knee flexion, and hip ER and IR range of motion was measured at 90 of knee flexion. Contrary to the hypothesis, few significant differences were found between the left and right leg, as well as between dancers and non-dancers. Dancers exhibited significantly greater IR range of motion than non-dancers, and knee abduction angles were greater on the right than left leg during double leg jumps. This opposes the hypothesis that knee abduction angles would be greater in dancers on the left leg. However, significant positive correlations were found
between IR strength and knee abduction angles during single leg jumps on the left leg, suggesting that IR strength may be a contributing factor to knee valgus. Further studies may want to utilize qualitative analyses, more relevant jumping tasks, and a different marker set to elucidate asymmetries of the lower limbs that may truly be present.
between IR strength and knee abduction angles during single leg jumps on the left leg, suggesting that IR strength may be a contributing factor to knee valgus. Further studies may want to utilize qualitative analyses, more relevant jumping tasks, and a different marker set to elucidate asymmetries of the lower limbs that may truly be present.
ContributorsOberbillig, Megan (Author) / Wiley, Alexander (Committee member) / Hinrichs, Richard (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2013-05