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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 project creates a possible framework for the application of music therapy to reduce test anxiety in students. Although music therapy has grown in recent years as a treatment method for a variety of mental health and wellness problems, it has yet to be comprehensively applied to the specific issue of test anxiety. Some studies have examined the use of music in testing situations in order to reduce anxiety or improve academic performance. However, more in-depth music therapy interventions are a promising, largely untried treatment possibility for students suffering from this type of anxiety.
ContributorsCowan, Sarah Elizabeth (Author) / Crowe, Barbara (Thesis director) / Rio, Robin (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Music (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-12
Description
This study examined whether changes in intervention related gains from the REACH for Personal and Academic Success program, an indicated anxiety prevention school-based protocol, vary as a function of participant youth's exposure to overprotective parenting. This study also examined if ethnicity/race (Caucasian vs. Hispanic/Latino) interacts with overprotective parenting to predict program response. A total of 98 children (M age = 9.70, SD = .07; 77.60% girls; 60.20% Hispanic/Latino) received 1 of 2 protocols (REACH or academic support) and responses were measured at post-treatment and 1-year follow-up. Findings showed that child self-regulation skills improved in the school program (REACH) for children of parents with low levels of overprotection, and child self-regulation skills improved in the control program (academic support) for children of parents with high levels of overprotection. These findings were significant in the Hispanic/Latino subsample, but not in Caucasian youth.
ContributorsBromich, Bobbi Lynn (Author) / Pina, Armando (Thesis director) / Presson, Clark (Committee member) / Hahs, Adam (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
The aim of this paper is to investigate a few of the primary pillars of the Paleo diet for evidence to either support or refute their efficacy and safety such that a more educated decision can be made by lay-persons who are wishing to make improvements in their overall health via dieting. To accomplish this goal a basic overview of The Paleo Diet (also known to some as the Paleolithic Nutrition Movement) is given based on the writings of Dr. Loren Cordain in his book The Paleo Diet. Next, analyses of a few of the basic characteristics of the diet are presented based on an in-depth literature review that was performed using PubMed (Medline), Cochrane and Google Scholar databases until March of 2015. The findings of this investigation raise concerns with respect to the safety of some of the main principles of the diet such as its high protein, low carbohydrate content that is relies heavily on the consumption of red meat. The current literature on what the diet of the people of the Paleolithic era may have consisted of is also presented in order to shed light on the origins of the diet and see how closely the diet prescribed The Paleo Diet meshes with the most current data on the topic.
ContributorsMurphy, Daniel Jordan (Author) / Morse, Lisa (Thesis director) / Lespron, Christy (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
More than 260 million people suffer from an anxiety disorder worldwide, with 40 million in the U.S. alone—18% of the American population. And that label includes everything from Social Anxiety and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder to phobias and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Thus, people with anxiety may not have a singular cause for their worry, but a myriad number of them that influence every aspect of their lives. And, that doesn’t include people who’ve never been formally diagnosed and don’t receive proper medication or therapy.
Unfortunately, medication has many possible side effects, and both medication and therapy are often expensive. However, there are alternatives for someone dealing with anxiety. This book proposal offers a range of solutions for anxiety management, from do it yourself techniques like guided imagery and yoga, to biofeedback devices like HeartMath, to research trials on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, as well as Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. The idea was not to outline every potential solution for anxiety, but to educate people on available opportunities and empower them to take control.
Though anxiety can be managed and reduced, there is no cure. That’s because anxiety is a normal part of life, and in most cases a helpful evolutionary tool to keep people on track. But, when this anxiety becomes a burden on someone’s life, there is a plethora of alternative solutions available. Understanding anxiety and learning to manage it is not an impossible task. This thesis provides an introduction to the idea and then allows the reader to move forward on their own path as they choose.
Unfortunately, medication has many possible side effects, and both medication and therapy are often expensive. However, there are alternatives for someone dealing with anxiety. This book proposal offers a range of solutions for anxiety management, from do it yourself techniques like guided imagery and yoga, to biofeedback devices like HeartMath, to research trials on Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, as well as Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation. The idea was not to outline every potential solution for anxiety, but to educate people on available opportunities and empower them to take control.
Though anxiety can be managed and reduced, there is no cure. That’s because anxiety is a normal part of life, and in most cases a helpful evolutionary tool to keep people on track. But, when this anxiety becomes a burden on someone’s life, there is a plethora of alternative solutions available. Understanding anxiety and learning to manage it is not an impossible task. This thesis provides an introduction to the idea and then allows the reader to move forward on their own path as they choose.
ContributorsSchneider, Sage Ann (Author) / deLusé, Stephanie (Thesis director) / Boyd, Patricia (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
This study was conducted to look at the possible effects of art intervention on anxiety levels of homeless young adults in a local drop-in shelter. While there is a fair amount of literature on art intervention and its applicability with vulnerable populations, its specific effect on anxiety has not been extensively examined. Researchers conducted two art interventions where state-trait anxiety (STAI Inventory) was measured before and after the interventions. Researchers hypothesized that anxiety would decrease after the art sessions. Some significant results were found. Participants reported feeling less strained (p = .041), worrying less over possible misfortunes (p = .02), feeling less nervous (p = .007) and feeling more decisive (p = .001). Future research recommendations are discussed.
ContributorsWille, Emma Margaret (Author) / Roe-Sepowitz, Dominique (Thesis director) / Mendoza, Natasha (Committee member) / Agliano, Stefania (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Social Work (Contributor) / Department of Psychology (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Early humans adapted to eating cooked food with increased energy density and absorption of macronutrients. However, in modern times many suffer from diseases like obesity and type 2 diabetes which can result from too much energy being absorbed from food. This study measures glucose responses to a high glycemic meal with a side dish of raw or cooked vegetables. There was a slight trend for raw vegetables to have decreased postprandial blood glucose responses when compared to cooked vegetables.
ContributorsWilkins, Christine Marie (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis director) / Jacobs, Mark (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
Resistant starch is defined as a portion of starch that bypasses breakdown and absorption in the small intestine. Several studies have shown a relationship between resistant starch consumption and decreased postprandial blood glucose. RS3 in particular, is formed when a starch containing food changes its chemical structure after it is cooked and then cooled. This characteristic enables a food to lower its glycemic index after it has been cooled enough to promote retrogradation and can potentially be used as a dietary intervention to control blood glucose in diabetics and individuals with insulin resistance. Although many studies have been done on rice and potatoes, pasta has not been tested as extensively. This investigation examines the effect of RS3 in pasta on postprandial glycemic response in 13 healthy participants. After consuming 2 bagels the night prior and coming in to the lab in a fasted state, the test subjects were given a warm or cold pasta dish to consume. Blood glucose samples were taken at fasting, 30 minutes, 60 minutes, 90 minutes, and 120 minutes for both the hot and cold dish. Analysis of the results indicated that there was an average of a 4.1 mg/dl decrease in blood glucose at 30 min and a 2.4 mg/dl decrease at 60 min for the cold pasta. This was followed by a 3.9 mg/dl increase at 90 min and 3.3 mg/dl increase at 120 min. Although these results show a small difference in postprandial glucose response, statistical analysis did not deem it significant difference.
ContributorsAnanieva, Mirela (Author) / Johnston, Carol S. (Thesis director) / Washo-Krupps, Delon (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / College of Health Solutions (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
In the age of social media, the 24-hour news cycle, and an overwhelming pressure to become "successful," there is a marked lack of personal connection within communities and a constant state of stress and overwork. This constant state of stress then builds into anxiety, as there are few public resources for mental reprieve. The World Health Organization reports that anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders worldwide, begging the question as to how they can be addressed most effectively worldwide. As design is implicit within any environment that provides for mental wellness, it must be carefully curated to provide not only the physical necessities, but speak for something beyond explanation- a sense of mental refuge and comfort. Using the concept of mindfulness, architecture has the power to force users to truly be present in the experience, activating space to become a mental refuge rather than a passive infrastructure.
ContributorsDickson, Cassandra (Author) / Horton, Philip (Thesis director) / Heywood, William (Committee member) / Hejduk, Renata (Committee member) / The Design School (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
The purpose of this project is to understand how wearable technology can improve a person's practice of self-tracking, or monitoring one's data. Self-tracking is regularly recording information about one's different life patterns (such as diet, activities, or sleep). Some technology that helps users record personal data are seen today as devices (FitBit, Smart Watches) or as applications (MyFitnessPal). Data is collected for the user to observe certain habits that he/she would like to improve upon. Their personal data that is collected and this helps keep the person self-tracking. This data can be converted to show personal behavioral patterns which a person analyzes so that they can make changes that lead to a healthier lifestyle. People self-track in order to analyze their behavior patterns, so that they can make changes to those patterns that lead to a healthier lifestyle. However, some people are not motivated to continue self-tracking, or use their data to make positive behavioral changes. To better understand this problem, we are conducting four co-design sessions with four users who have shown varying levels of self-tracking. Sessions' activities included: storyboarding, reviewing existing user interfaces, generating feedback on prototypes and discussion into thoughts and feelings about the prototype and self-tracking in general. Current findings highlight the importance of customization and simplicity within the application. We are developing an Apple Watch prototype application for self-tracking that incorporates features tailored to those needs in order to better motivate users to track and improve their well-being. Our main goal is to gain a better understanding of our participants and their need and usage with self-tracking. More information can be found on our website at ani6gup.me/CareTrack.
ContributorsFoote, Michaela (Co-author) / Gupta, Anisha (Co-author) / Walker, Erin (Thesis director) / Hekler, Eric (Committee member) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Arts, Media and Engineering (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12