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Objectives: To investigate the potential of vinegar supplementation as a means for reducing visceral fat in healthy overweight and obese adults, and to evaluate its effects on fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin.

Subjects and Methods: Forty-five sedentary overweight and obese adult participants with a waist circumference greater than 32

Objectives: To investigate the potential of vinegar supplementation as a means for reducing visceral fat in healthy overweight and obese adults, and to evaluate its effects on fasting blood glucose and fasting insulin.

Subjects and Methods: Forty-five sedentary overweight and obese adult participants with a waist circumference greater than 32 inches for women and 37 inches for men were randomly assigned to one of two groups, the vinegar group (VIN, n=21) or the control group (CON, n=24), and instructed to consume either two tablespoons of liquid red wine vinegar (3.6g acetic acid) or a control pill (0.0225g acetic acid) twice daily at the beginning of a meal for 8 weeks. Participants were also instructed to maintain normal diet and physical activity levels. Anthropometric measures, dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scans, blood samples, and 24-hour dietary recalls were collected at baseline and at end of trial. A compliance calendar was provided for daily tracking of vinegar supplementation.

Results: Compliance to vinegar supplementation averaged 92.7 ±13.3% among the VIN group and 89.1 ±18.9% among the CON group. There were no statistically significant differences in anthropometric measurements between baseline and week 8: weight (P=0.694), BMI (P=0.879), and waist circumference (P=0.871). Similarly, DXA scan data did not show significant changes in visceral fat (P=0.339) or total fat (P=0.294) between baseline and week 8. The VIN group had significant reductions in fasting glucose (P=0.003), fasting insulin (P <0.001), and homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance scores (P <0.001) after treatment.

Conclusions: These data do not support the findings from previous studies that indicated a link between vinegar supplementation and increased fat metabolism, specifically visceral fat reduction.
ContributorsGonzalez, Lisa Ann (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Mayol-Kreiser, Sandra (Committee member) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
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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

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
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Description
One of the great difficulties in leading America to become a healthier nation involves overcoming the socioeconomic disparity that exists between income and health literacy. Impoverished communities consistently lack the proper health education to make quality food purchases and healthy lifestyle choices, leading to higher rates of obesity. Through FitPHX

One of the great difficulties in leading America to become a healthier nation involves overcoming the socioeconomic disparity that exists between income and health literacy. Impoverished communities consistently lack the proper health education to make quality food purchases and healthy lifestyle choices, leading to higher rates of obesity. Through FitPHX Energy Zones, an after-school program designed to encourage Phoenix youths to lead healthier lifestyles through an innovative use of library spaces, I provided health education and opportunities for physical activity for 8 to 14-year-olds in underserved Phoenix communities. However, although this intervention made significant progress with the kids' health literacy development over the course of the program, it is difficult for community-based intervention programs to continue in the long run due to budget or other extraneous circumstances. Once the program ends, there needed to be a way to continue to reach the kids beyond the scope of the program such that they can continue to experience the lessons taught during the program. Following the conclusion of FitPHX, I created an interactive book for the kids I worked with to help them retain the health and nutrition knowledge taught during the program.
ContributorsBejarano, Michael Carlos (Author) / McCoy, Maureen (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Harrington Bioengineering Program (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
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Description
Food shopping practices are important in promoting healthy eating habits. Whereas previous behavioral interventions have assessed the effects of such interventions on parent and child health behaviors and quality, few have examined their impact on food shopping practices. This study used a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the efficacy

Food shopping practices are important in promoting healthy eating habits. Whereas previous behavioral interventions have assessed the effects of such interventions on parent and child health behaviors and quality, few have examined their impact on food shopping practices. This study used a randomized controlled trial design to investigate the efficacy of Athletes for Life (AFL), a 12-week community-based, family-focused intervention program that targeted physical activity and dietary behavior, on food shopping practices among Latino parents with elementary school-aged children. A total of 140 Latino adults were randomized to the AFL intervention or a wait-list control group. AFL included weekly sessions that focused on nutrition education, meal planning, grocery shopping, and physical activity. Participants completed surveys at baseline and after the 12-week program to assess their frequency of use of healthy food shopping practices (i.e., nutrition facts panel use, ingredients list use, grocery list utilization), and whether they refer to specific nutrients within the nutrition facts panel. Intervention effects on the frequency of use of food shopping practices were analyzed using a logistic binomial regression. Effects on consulting specific nutrients within the nutrition facts panel were analyzed using a Quade’s analysis of covariance. Results showed that there was a significant increase in the utilization of grocery lists (2.45±1.42 vs. 1.64±1.57, p=.011, F=6.664), nutrition facts panels (2.76±1.30 vs. 1.40±1.24, p=<.0001, F=47.128), and ingredients lists (2.79±1.26 vs. 1.58±1.51, p=<.0001, F=20.055) among the intervention group participants. Additionally, participants in the intervention group increased their use of nutrition facts panels to look up individual nutrients, particularly calories (OR=4.162, 95% CI=1.762-9.833, p=.009), carbohydrates (OR=7.889, 95% CI=2.136-29.137, p=.018), protein (OR=12.013, 95% CI=2.479-58.222, p=.018), and sodium (OR=4.247, 95% CI=1.624-11.105, p=.027), compared to baseline use. These findings demonstrate that the AFL intervention program was successful in implementing a positive change among parents, which will presumably allow parents to make improvements in their food shopping behaviors that may in turn have an effect on their home food environment and dietary intake among adults and children within the home.
ContributorsCampoy, Mariah Rose (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Crespo, Noe (Committee member) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
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Description
Objective: Migration to the United States (U.S.) has been associated with food insecurity and detrimental changes in diet quality. How these changes affect women in context of their neighborhood food environment has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to assess if food security is associated with diet quality and

Objective: Migration to the United States (U.S.) has been associated with food insecurity and detrimental changes in diet quality. How these changes affect women in context of their neighborhood food environment has not been thoroughly explored. This study aimed to assess if food security is associated with diet quality and to explore if perceived food availability moderates this purported association in a sample of Mexican immigrant women.

Methods: Mexican-born women (n=57, 41±7 years) residing in the U.S. for more than 1 year self-reported food security status, monthly fast-food frequency, and their perception of fruit, vegetables, and low-fat product availability within their neighborhood via survey. Diet was assessed using the Southwest Food Frequency Questionnaire to estimate intake of fruit, vegetables, salty snacks, sugar, and healthy eating index (HEI)-2015 score. Bivariate correlations assessed the relationships between study variables. Independent samples t-tests compared dietary outcomes between women classified as food secure (n=41; high or marginal food security) and food insecure (n=16; low or very low food security). A moderation analysis assessed the effect of the perception of the neighborhood food environment on the relationship between food security and HEI-2015 score.

Results: Fifty four percent of participants worked full time and 42% had a monthly household income <$2,000. Time residing in the U.S. was 20±9 years. Relative to women classified as food secure, participants experiencing food insecurity had lower HEI-2015 (61±8 vs. 66±6; p=0.03). Albeit not significantly different, women experiencing food insecurity reported lower intake of fruit (236±178 vs. 294±239 g), vegetables (303±188 vs. 331±199 g), and salty snacks (6±5 vs. 8±10 g), as well as higher intake of sugar (99±55 vs. 96±56 g) and fast food (2.5±2.5 vs. 1.8±1.7 times per month); p>0.05 for all. Among women experiencing food insecurity, there was a trend for a lower perception of neighborhood fruit, vegetable and low-fat product availability being associated with lower HEI-2015 scores (54±6) relative to those who perceived moderate (63±6) or high (65±8) neighborhood availability of those foods (p=0.07).

Conclusions: HEI-2015 scores were associated with participants’ food security status. Findings suggest a need for better understanding of how neighborhood food availability may affect diet quality among Mexican immigrant women experiencing food insecurity.
ContributorsVerdezoto Alvarado, Adriana Patricia (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Ochoa, Candelaria Berenice (Committee member) / Melendez, Juana Maria (Committee member) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
This study was designed to examine the associations between food skills, resilience, and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between April and June of 2020, a sample of 154 students, faculty, and staff from Arizona State University were surveyed. Each respondent was administered a survey containing demographic questions, a food skill

This study was designed to examine the associations between food skills, resilience, and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic. Between April and June of 2020, a sample of 154 students, faculty, and staff from Arizona State University were surveyed. Each respondent was administered a survey containing demographic questions, a food skill questionnaire, and the 14-item Resilience Scale (RS). Results indicate that food skill was correlated with resilience (p<0.001) at an r=0.364 and r2=0.1243 and that resilience was correlated with coping during the Covid-19 pandemic (p<0.001) at an r=0.455. Correlations were also run between resilience score and the separate domains of food skill score: all domains remained significantly associated with resilience score (p<0.001) with a r=0.340 and r2=0.1173 for ‘Food Selection and Planning,’ r=0.312 and r2=0.0958 for ‘Food Preparation,’ and r=0.294 and r2=0.0767 for ‘Food Safety.’ Data seems to be consistent with contemporary research suggesting positive associations between diet quality and physiological resilience and positive associations between resilience and coping during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ContributorsPhares, Savanna Julene (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Irving, Andrea (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020
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Description
Background: The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), as a federal nutrition assistance program, provides guidance and financial support to early childcare education centers (ECECs) who provide nutritious foods to children in care. Understanding factors that predict participating in CACFP is necessary to expanding CACFP reach. The purpose of

Background: The Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP), as a federal nutrition assistance program, provides guidance and financial support to early childcare education centers (ECECs) who provide nutritious foods to children in care. Understanding factors that predict participating in CACFP is necessary to expanding CACFP reach. The purpose of this study was to assess center-level predictors of ECECs participating in CACFP in Arizona to guide state-wide recruitment efforts. Methods: This study analyzed data from ECECs in Arizona in 2020 (n=2228), sourcing data from the Arizona Department of Economic Services (Quality First rating (an Arizona-based score for quality of the ECE centers), accreditation Status, highest educational attainment, enrichment center status, and total licensed capacity), Arizona Department of Education (CACFP), Arizona Department of Health and Sanitation (SNAP-Ed participation), and the US Census. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between the predictors and participating in CACFP, adjusting for SNAP-Ed eligibility by census tract. Results: Centers had a significantly greater odds of participating in CACFP if they were an enrichment site (OR=5.9; 95% CI: 4.6, 7.5), had a Quality First rating (OR=2.5; 95% CI: 2.0, 3.0), and when the highest educational attainment by staff was a bachelor’s degree or higher (OR=1.4; 95% CI: 1.1, 1.7). Discussion: The findings support indicate that certain modifiable center-level factors were related to participation in CACFP. Findings may assist possible linkages with other state-level programs to improve the recruitment and retention of ECE centers to CACFP.
ContributorsNarramore, Kala R (Author) / Bruening, Meg (Thesis advisor) / Raczynski, Erin (Committee member) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021
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Description
Objectives. The role of parents and caregivers is vital in promoting healthy eating habits among Hispanic adolescents. However, there are inconsistent findings on whether parental feeding practices are beneficial to their diet quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of parental feeding practices on adolescent dietary

Objectives. The role of parents and caregivers is vital in promoting healthy eating habits among Hispanic adolescents. However, there are inconsistent findings on whether parental feeding practices are beneficial to their diet quality. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of parental feeding practices on adolescent dietary outcomes post-parenting intervention among Hispanic dyads. The present study is a secondary analysis using data from a randomized controlled trial testing the effect of a parenting intervention, Families Preparing the New Generation Plus (FPNG+), on adolescent dietary and substance use outcomes among sixth to seventh grade Hispanic students. Methods. A subsample of dyads (n=78) completed surveys to collect information on parental feeding practices and adolescent dietary outcomes at baseline (T1) and immediately post-FPNG+ intervention (T2). Parents (mean age of 39.7 years; 84.6% female) self-reported their use of parental control, pressure to eat, and food restriction parenting practices at T1. Adolescents (mean age of 12.3 years; 68.2% male) self-reported their consumption of fruits, vegetables, and sugar sweetened beverage (SSB) intake at both T1 and T2. Repeated measures ANOVA were employed to compare changes in adolescent dietary outcomes by each of the three parental feeding practices assessed. Results. Findings showed significant differences in changes in vegetable consumption between adolescents of parents who reported use of control (-0.69 cup equivalents/day; p = 0.018), compared to virtually unchanged vegetable intake among those of parents who reported not using control. There were also significant differences in vegetable intake by food restriction, with a decrease in intake among adolescents whose parents reported not using restriction (-0.65 cup equivalents per day; p = 0.021), compared to a virtually unchanged vegetable intake among the use of restriction group. Dietary outcomes of fruit and sugar from SSB intake were not statistically significant by use of any of the parental feeding practices studied. Conclusion. Findings showed that adolescents whose parents used control and food restriction did not have less favorable changes in vegetable intake compared to those of parents who did not use these practices. More research is needed to determine whether the use of parental feeding practices may be advantageous on the intake of fruits, vegetables, and SSBs among adolescents to advise effective parenting interventions and establish lasting healthy eating habits of Hispanic youth.
ContributorsHannoona, Oryana (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis advisor) / Campos, Ana P (Committee member) / McCoy, Maureen (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023