Matching Items (7)
Filtering by
- All Subjects: Nutrition
Description
Due to persistent undernutrition in India and the increased demands placed on a woman’s body during childbearing and lactation, the Indian government has implemented a program to provide supplemental nutrition packets to women in rural India. This study examines the factors influencing uptake of nutritional packets by lactating mothers in southern, rural Rajasthan. Women were recruited from 65 villages in Rajasthan, India (n=149, minimum of 2 per village) to evaluate the relationship of nutrition packet uptake and two factors--education levels and distance to the health center.
Level of education had little impact on whether or not women received the nutrition packet. Of those women with no education, 63.1% received the packet. Of those with any education, 63.9% got the packet.
In contrast, distance was strongly correlated with whether or not women received the packet. For example, of the women living within 200 meters of the health center, 93.2% received a nutrition packet. Of the women living between 250 meters and one kilometer of the health center, 68.4% received a nutrition packet. Of the women living over one kilometer from the health center, only 25% received a nutrition packet. The relationship between uptake of packets and women’s perception of distance to the health center was also explored. Out of 50 women who did not receive the packet, all of the women who said there was no health center in their village did live more than one kilometer from a health center. Of the women who lived between 250 meters and one kilometer from the health center, 40% felt it was too far. Of the women who lived more than a kilometer from the health center, 66.7% felt it was too far and 29.6% said there was no health center in their village. Again, it does not appear that ‘too far’ is just a default reason for women, but that actual distance, more so than education, is a major contributing factor in their ability to take the nutrition packet. These findings suggest that improving access to supplemental nutrition packets at the village level may increase uptake by the women.
Level of education had little impact on whether or not women received the nutrition packet. Of those women with no education, 63.1% received the packet. Of those with any education, 63.9% got the packet.
In contrast, distance was strongly correlated with whether or not women received the packet. For example, of the women living within 200 meters of the health center, 93.2% received a nutrition packet. Of the women living between 250 meters and one kilometer of the health center, 68.4% received a nutrition packet. Of the women living over one kilometer from the health center, only 25% received a nutrition packet. The relationship between uptake of packets and women’s perception of distance to the health center was also explored. Out of 50 women who did not receive the packet, all of the women who said there was no health center in their village did live more than one kilometer from a health center. Of the women who lived between 250 meters and one kilometer from the health center, 40% felt it was too far. Of the women who lived more than a kilometer from the health center, 66.7% felt it was too far and 29.6% said there was no health center in their village. Again, it does not appear that ‘too far’ is just a default reason for women, but that actual distance, more so than education, is a major contributing factor in their ability to take the nutrition packet. These findings suggest that improving access to supplemental nutrition packets at the village level may increase uptake by the women.
ContributorsJeffers, Eva Marie (Author) / Hruschka, Daniel (Thesis director) / Maupin, Jonathan (Committee member) / Cook, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
The purpose of this research was to analyze the EPODE Model for the development community-based interventions against childhood obesity and its transferability on a global scale. The Ensemble, Prevenons L'Obesite des Enfant (EPODE: Together Let's Prevent Childhood Obesity) Model was developed in France following the successful results of a community-based intervention there. The Model is illustrated by four pillars that are essential to program implementation and positive results. These pillars are: political support, research & evaluation, social marketing principles and public/private partnerships. Using these four pillars, the model has been transferred to diverse countries around the globe and has shown results in these diverse locations. In order to understand what makes this model so transferrable to so many diverse locations, this researcher traveled to the Netherlands, Belgium and France visiting program locations and interviewing professionals who have been involved in the development of the model, its modification and implementation. These interviews addressed specific modifications to the model that were made for implementation in the Netherlands and Belgium. This paper outlines the key transferrable components of this model and outlines a proposed model to be used in the United States.
ContributorsNielsen, Abigail Fanchon (Author) / Ohri-Vachaspati, Punam (Thesis director) / Barroso, Cristina (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Description
The transition from high school to college is, for many, a drastic change in lifestyle, social networks, and dietary choices. The prevalence of obesity in college students has been steadily increasing. Freshmen weight gains have been associated with a decrease in fruits and vegetables and an increase in unhealthy items such as desserts, alcohol, and late night snacking after dinner. A survey of college students was constructed to gauge students' perceptions of nutrition how these perceptions influenced dietary practices and behaviors. Survey results indicated that awareness of nutrition and health does not translate to dietary practices, aligning with results from previous studies. Several sex differences were noted in regards to dietary choices and perceptions, knowledge seeking behavior, and sources of information. While there were some similarities, it is clear from the results obtained that men and women have different approaches and thoughts with regard to nutrition. The results showed that college students who actively seek our nutritional information are more likely to do so in the form of social media or Internet sources. This study could be useful for those planning on conducting college-based nutritional programs in that the results indicate patterns and trends that should be taken into consideration in order for a successful nutrition intervention
ContributorsKeahon, Gabriela Estrada (Author) / Jehn, Megan (Thesis director) / Williams, Deborah (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
Nutrition has been around for as long as human beings have resided on the planet, giving it one of the most impactful roles in history, particularly in medicine. Certain herbs or dietary restrictions could help individuals recover from illnesses—this form of healing has been passed down generations, which medical providers from all over the world take advantage of. Before the era of antibiotics and pharmaceutical companies, food was the medicine used to treat. As civilization has flourished and become progressive, it seems that certain qualities of the past have been forgotten, such as the power of diet. Medical providers like to push patients towards pharmaceutical intervention because of the financial profit that this method entails, which has been shown to backfire. These interventions are not solving the true problem, but only applying a short-term solution. Dietary restrictions as well as the increase in heart-healthy foods can entirely reverse these conditions in order to avoid the fatal effects they may have. With the increase in nutritional education amongst the population via medical providers, specifically primary care providers, patients are able to reverse the symptoms of effects of chronic cardiovascular disease amongst others.
ContributorsTarin, Marjan (Author) / Huffman, Holly (Thesis director) / Moore, Marianne (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-12
Description
This creative project seeks to demonstrate the nutritional and financial benefits of cooking in versus eating out to college age students. We sought to determine what factors significantly differentiated restaurant meals versus home-cooked versions, and how we could share this information with our peers to potentially influence them to make a healthy lifestyle change. The first step was to determine the factors that influence college-aged students eating habits, and was presented with a review of relevant literature in several topics. We researched food literacy in young adults, the impact of fast food, social media's role in healthy eating habits, health behavior change in young adults, and the benefits of home cooking to obtain a general baseline of the knowledge of college-aged students. The initial research was utilized to write more effective blog posts that appropriately addressed our targeted demographic and to determine what platforms would be most appropriate to convey our information. These ideas were taken and then translated into a blog and Instagram account that contained healthy, copycat recipes of popular restaurant meals. We wrote 30 blog posts which were made up of 20 original recipes, 8 nutrition informational posts, and an introduction/conclusion. Finally, a focus group was hosted to ascertain the opinions of our peers, and to determine if they would be willing to make a lifestyle change in the form of cooking more frequently as opposed to eating out regularly. We provided them with a pre and post survey to gather their opinions before and after reviewing the findings of our research and project. We concluded that if given the information in an accessible way, college students are willing to eat in, not out.
ContributorsKirch, Jayme Elizabeth (Co-author) / Sanford, Victoria (Co-author) / Lehmann, Jessica (Thesis director) / Martinelli, Sarah (Committee member) / Levinson, Simin (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / Department of Supply Chain Management (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
A Review of the Current Understanding on Immune Cell Sensitivity to Variation in Energy Availability
Description
This study takes a broad look into the existing research on the relationship between two physiological topics, nutrition and immunity in vertebrates, specifically the mammalian and avian branches. This was achieved by critiquing available studies on different types of immune cells, and how variable energy availability, as well as specific pathogens, impact cell function. Notably, most studies examined individuals with compromised immune systems, which reveals an existing knowledge gap in the linkages between nutrition and immunity in healthy organisms. Links between immunity and nutrition were identified across the studies, with the three main energy molecules, carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, implicated in functional roles as immune modulators. Stimulatory and inhibitory effects occur dependent on elevated and depleted nutrient levels, and multiple cell types are sensitive to changes in nutrient availability. Further studies should be conducted on healthy individuals of model species, as well as wildlife and other non-model species to identify and describe the effects of host nutritional status on the spread of pathogens and the implications at the population level for humans, domestic animals, and wildlife.
ContributorsViteri, Xela Amariana (Author) / Moore, Marianne (Thesis director) / Penton, Christopher (Committee member) / College of Integrative Sciences and Arts (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
This study aimed to investigate the effects of specific macronutrient feedings on competitive golf performance and perceived levels of fatigue and alertness. Participants played three, nine hole rounds of golf, consuming an isocaloric beverage as a control (CON), with the addition of carbohydrate (CHO), or combination of protein and carbohydrate (COM). Physiological and performance measurements were taken before, during, and following each nine hole round. Performance measurements include driving accuracy (DA), driving distance (DD), iron accuracy (IA), chipping accuracy (CA), and putting accuracy (PA). Pre-golf hydration status (urine specific gravity [USG]) and Sweat Rate during golf performance showed no significant differences between trials. All nine hole rounds were performed in ~2 hours. Environmental conditions were similar for all three testing days (mean WBGT=10.946). No significant differences were seen in Driving Distance, Driving Accuracy, and Iron Accuracy for all nine holes between groups receiving different macronutrient feedings. Chipping Accuracy was significantly better in CON trial compared to CHO (p=0.004) and COM (p=0.019). No significant differences were seen in putting make percentages. COM trial significantly lowered Perceived Levels of Fatigue (p=0.019) compared to CON. The CHO trial showed significant improvements in DA compared to CON (13.7 vs. 44.1, p=0.012) and COM (13.7 vs. 33.6, p=0.004) in the first four holes. In the last five holes, the COM trial showed significant improvements in DA compared to CHO (17.5 vs. 29.7, p=0.007). Low Handicap golfers (3 +/- 3) performed significantly better than High Handicap golfers (14 +/- 3.6) in DD (265 vs. 241, p<0.001), DA (15.0 vs. 29.3, p=0.004), IA (15.2 vs. 25.2, p<0.001), CA (52.0 vs. 61.5, p=0.027), and PA 5ft (64% vs. 40%, p=0.003). High Handicap players showed no significant differences between the three trials for any golf performance measurements. Low Handicap players showed significant improvements in DA for COM trial compared to CON trial (13.6 vs. 27.6, p=0.003). The results suggest that carbohydrates at the start and a combination of carbohydrate and protein is beneficial at the second part of 9 holes to improve golf performance and maintain levels of fatigue, however, it needs to be investigated how this knowledge will relate to playing more holes.
ContributorsThompsett, Daniel James (Author) / Wardenaar, Floris (Thesis advisor) / Der Ananian, Cheryl (Committee member) / Hondula, David M. (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2020