Matching Items (12)
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- All Subjects: Wellness
- All Subjects: Childhood Obesity
- 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
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
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 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 purpose of this paper is to examine the current health status of children and adults in the United States as it relates to the current obesity epidemic. There will also be an examination of how nutrition education is commonly presented to children currently and how it was presented in a community-based health intervention, Athletes for Life, during a six-week pilot program of the intervention. Using the data compiled on the current health status of the population of the United States, the methods of intervention examined and the seemingly most effective means to relay nutrition information to school-age children, a coordinated nutrition curriculum will be proposed and implemented into the efficacy portion of Athletes for Life, a ten-week intervention.
ContributorsMcGhee, Andrian Q. (Author) / Crespo, Noe (Thesis director) / Vega Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2014-05
Paddle With A Purpose: A Synthesis on My Perspective on Cultivating an Intentional Life of Happiness
Description
Happiness is an enormously broad topic that has recently gained momentum in the workplace, literature, media and society. There are many interconnected topics and themes contributing to the overall state of being happy. In my book, I dive into the most important topics that contribute to daily and global happiness. Each of the following topics are explored within the evidence-based literature and juxtaposed with my own life experience and perspective. First, I will explore society’s impact on happiness. Society shapes our perspective more than we realize, so it is important to debunk what rings true to us individually and what does not. Next, I’ll share with you my favorite thing in life—gratitude. Gratitude is the easiest way to transition a negative affect into a positive state of being. In chapter three I will discuss how language and perspective shape our experiences. Word choice and self-talk are extremely impactful in your relationship with yourself and your relationship with others. Chapter four is about complaining and how it serves us and inhibits us. There are many functions to complaining, like self-awareness and enhanced interpersonal relationships as well as consequences like being a draining friend to be around. Then I’ll share about the phenomenon of emotional contagion and compassion and finish it up with the final chapter about being present and practicing happiness in our daily lives. It is most important to live a life full of intentional daily actions. The tone of my book is conversational and meant to serve as an inspirational tool to aide in achieving a happier life.
ContributorsSugarman, Cedar Gaia (Author) / Hoffner, Kristin (Thesis director) / Dawes, Mary (Committee member) / Curry Hart, Rachel (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-05
Description
Childhood obesity is a worsening epidemic in the U.S. with substantial racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities. Community-based approaches are necessary to target populations that are disproportionately affected by childhood obesity. The current randomized controlled trial assessed the effects of Athletes for Life (AFL), a 12-week community-based nutrition education and physical activity program that aims to improve cardiovascular fitness and promote healthy eating among families in the South Phoenix region, relative to a control condition. One of the goals of the intervention was to increase participating children's intake of fruits/vegetables and reduce their sugar intake, measured by a parent-reported food-frequency questionnaire. Data were collected on 110 child participants aged 6-11 years old. Relative to baseline values, participants in the intervention reportedly increased their fruit intake frequency by 0.12 + 2.0 times per day, whereas the control group decreased their intake by 0.32 + 1.28 times per day (p=0.026). Participants in the intervention group also increased their vegetable intake by 0.21 + 0.65 times per day, whereas control participants decreased their intake by 0.05 + 0.72 times per day (p=0.019). Participants in the intervention group decreased their intake of sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake by 0.22 + 0.62 times per day, whereas control participants decreased their intake of SSBs by 0.04 + 0.40 times per day, however, the change observed in SSB intake was not significant between groups. Lastly, frequency of sugar-laden food intake decreased by 0.86 + 1.10 times per day among the intervention group, whereas control participants increased their intake by 0.02 + 1.10 times per day (p=0.033). The AFL study may serve as a framework for future community-based interventions to promote health in underserved areas.
ContributorsCirjan, Ioana Alina (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis director) / Crespo, Noe (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Introduction: A mini-documentary consisting of 4 student interviews and 1 professional interview was created for the purpose of providing examples of how body image and eating behaviors affect overall wellness and starting more conversation of this topic. Literature Review: A review of some of the current literature involving body image and wellness interventions suggests that body image is a significant factor of health and wellbeing. Wellness interventions, mostly "non-diet" approaches, that omit weight loss as a primary goal could be a suitable solution for some people wanting to make sustainable healthy lifestyle changes. The social media site, YouTube, was chosen to share the documentary based on the ability of social media to reach more people, engage them, and spread messages and information quickly. Methods: Participants of the video were volunteers responding to an ad posted on the Barrett, the Honors College daily newsletter. Michelle May, M.D. was interviewed to provide a professional perspective on the subject. Questions asked of the student participants were meant to provide examples of how each of their relationships with their bodies and food affected their ideas of health and vice versa. Final Video: The final video, titled "Food & You" can be found on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ShmAzlx2GhM Discussion and Conclusion: Overall, weight and body size still seem to play a role in the ideas the students interviewed have of health. As more research into improving body image is done, knowing how to add this to personal and health professional practice should be encouraged. Moving away from the weight-focused idea of health could improve body image and overall wellness.
ContributorsDehaven, Madison Riley (Author) / Dixon, Kathleen (Thesis director) / Kniskern, Megan (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12
Description
Hispanic children have the highest prevalence of obesity versus other ethnic groups. This leaves this population susceptible to many adverse health risks, including hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and high blood pressure. Unfortunately, little research has been done investigating the contributing cause to this issue, specifically common sedentary behaviors in children that limit physical activity and it’s purpose in expending energy. Amongst these behaviors, amount of time spent on electronic devices has proven to have increased drastically in recent years. The relationship between screen time and electronic device use, specifically with television, video games, and computer usage, and physical activity levels, and how those affect cardiometabolic disease risk factors, were explored in this study. Participants of this study were elementary school-aged children from Maricopa County, AZ. Electronic device usage, physical activity amounts, and presence of the specific devices in the child’s were collected from the participants’ parents through self-reported survey questions. Anthropometric and biochemical markers of cardiometabolic disease risk were directly measured. The average time spent engaged in physical activity per day by these participants was 20.02 ± 21.1 minutes and the average total screen time per day was 655 ± 605 minutes. Findings showed strong significance between total screen time and computer and video game use (r=0.482; p=0.01 and r=0.784; p=0.01, respectively). Video game time in the group of children with a video game in their room (350.66 ± 445.96 min/day) was significantly higher than the sample of kids without one in their room (107.19 ± 210.0 min/day ; p=0.000). Total screen time was also significantly greater with children who had a video game system in their room (927.56 ± 928.7 min/day) versus children who did not (543.14 ± 355.11 min/day; p=0.006). Additionally, significance was found showing children with a computer in the bedroom spent more time using the computer per day (450.95 ± 377.95 min/day), compared to those children who did not have a computer in their room (333.5 ± 395.6 min/day; p=0.048). No significant association was found between metabolic markers and screen time. However, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and insulin proved to be dependent on BMI percentile (r=-0.582; p=0.01, r=0.476; p=0.01, r=0.704; p=0.01 respectively). Our data suggest further research needs to be done investigating other potential sources that limit physical activity so that strategies can focus on reducing obesity incidence and the associated health risks. Future studies should use larger sample sizes to be more representative of this population, and develop more direct observations instead of self-reported values to limit bias.
ContributorsGaines, Michael Anthony (Author) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Thesis director) / Crespo, Noe (Committee member) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
Description
Health and wellness coaching has shown promising results in numerous studies. However, there is lack of published research evaluating the impact of using wellness-coaching interventions implemented by coaching trainees in a worksite setting. The main objective was to examine the changes in self-reported scores of the 12-wellness dimensions of health in ASU students, faculty, and staff after participating in an eight-week health and wellness program. The secondary outcome was to evaluate if additional health and wellness recommendations had a significant impact. The participants were aged 18 to 58 years and were divided into two groups: the first group received health and wellness coaching, while the second group received the health and wellness coaching in addition to recommendations on specific worksite social/embedded programs and supporting activities. Both groups had significantly increased scores in Eating/Nutrition and Thinking (p<0.001 and P<0.014 respectively). Health and wellness coaching trainees were effective in assisting clients on reaching realistic progress. Our program shows potential benefits in worksite wellness.
ContributorsBlackwell, Jared (Author) / Gregory-Mercado, Karen (Thesis director) / Collins, Michael (Committee member) / Scribner, Christina (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School for the Science of Health Care Delivery (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2017-12