Matching Items (6)
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- All Subjects: Breastfeeding
- All Subjects: Obesity
- Creators: Whisner, Corrie
- Resource Type: Text
Description
The prevalence of obesity and obesity-related disorders have increased world-wide. In the last decade, the intestinal microbiome has become a major indicator of metabolic and gastrointestinal health. Previous research has shown that high-fat diet (HFD) consumption can alter the microbial composition of the gut by increasing the abundance of gram-positive bacteria associated with the onset of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Although, the most common form of obesity and metabolic syndrome intervention is exercise and diet, these recommendations may not improve severe cases of obesity. Thus, an important relevance of my project was to investigate whether the intake of an organometallic complex (OMC) would prevent the onset of metabolic and gastrointestinal complications associated with high-fat diet intake. I hypothesized that the consumption of a HFD for 6 weeks would promote the development of metabolic and gastrointestinal disease risk factors. Next, it was hypothesized that OMC treatment would decrease metabolic risk factors by improving insulin sensitivity and decreasing weight gain. Finally, I hypothesized that HFD-intake would increase the abundance of gram-positive bacteria associated with gastrointestinal disease. My preliminary data investigated the effects of a 6-week HFD on the development of hepatic steatosis, intestinal permeability and inflammation in male Sprague Dawley rats. I found that a 6-week HFD increases hepatic triglyceride concentrations, plasma endotoxins and promotes the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines in the cecum wall. I then investigated whether OMC treatment could prevent metabolic risk factors in male Sprague-Dawley rats fed a HFD for 10 weeks and found that OMC can mitigate risk factors such hyperglycemia, liver disease, impaired endothelial function, and inflammation. Lastly, I investigated the effects of a 10-week HFD on the gastrointestinal system and found an increase in liver triglycerides and free glycerol and alterations of the distal gut microbiome. My results support the hypothesis that a HFD can promote metabolic risk factors, alter the gut microbiome and increase systemic inflammation and that OMC treatment may help mitigate some of these effects. Together, these studies are among the first to demonstrate the effects of a soil-derived compound on metabolic complications. Additionally, these conclusions also provide an essential basis for future gastrointestinal and microbiome studies of OMC treatment.
ContributorsCrawford, Meli'sa Shaunte (Author) / Sweazea, Karen L (Thesis advisor) / Deviche, Pierre (Thesis advisor) / Al-Nakkash, Layla (Committee member) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / Hyatt, Jon-Philippe (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was created in 1991 with the goal to provide support and education to mothers on breastfeeding in order to increase the rate and duration of breastfeeding across the world. Despite being around for over 20 years, it has only been successfully incorporated into 245 hospitals in the United States as of 2015. Due to the many benefits this initiative brings to mothers, infants, and the hospitals themselves as well as being shown to increase the incidence, duration, and exclusivity of breastfeeding, the goal of this project was to create a mother friendly brochure sharing this. The brochure was created in order to spread the word of the BFHI to expecting mothers so that they are informed and able to use this information to not only improve their own child-birthing experience but also push for implementation in their delivering facilities. The brochure covers additional topics such as breastfeeding benefits and tips, lactation resources, and steps to incorporate into their own hospital stay if outside of a BFHI facility in order to get a few of the benefits that the Baby Friendly Initiative provides. The brochure was tested for clarity, effectiveness, and for overall reactions in a study conducted at a local women's clinic surveying expectant mothers through the use of a short survey. These results were used to make minor improvements to the brochure before moving on to plans of how to disseminate the brochure to more clinics within the Phoenix area. The dissemination of this brochure will share this important information with women of childbearing age and hopefully lead to greater knowledge and progress towards improved maternal and neonatal outcomes.
ContributorsGunnare, Chrystina Jean (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis director) / Bever, Jennie (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor)
Created2015-05
Description
In the United States, the prevalence of pediatric obesity has increased to 17% in the general population and even more so in the Hispanic pediatric population to 22.4%. These children are at a higher risk for associated comorbidities, including cardiovascular disease and insulin resistance. The purpose of the following study is to determine the effectiveness of the Nutrition and Health Awareness curriculum at reducing childhood obesity by evaluating alterations in the gut microbial composition, diet, and overall health of the students throughout the five-week program. Nutrition and Health Awareness (NHA) is a student organization that strives to reduce the prevalence of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases, specifically in children, by providing active nutrition education services through peer mentoring in elementary schools and community programs. This study went through ASU's Institutional Review Board process and all forms were translated into Spanish. The control group maintained their normal routines and the experimental group received the 5 week NHA program and then continued with their normal routines. Anthropometric measures (Body Mass Index, waist-to-hip ratio, and blood pressure), diet measures (Hispanic food frequency questionnaire), fecal swabs, and content surveys were collected on weeks 0, 5, and 8. Contrary to expected, alpha diversity, kilocalorie intake, and macronutrient intake decreased as the study progressed for both the control and experimental groups. Anthropometric measurements were relatively stable. Though not statistically significant, the greatest difference in time points is between weeks 1 and 8. This decrease in alpha diversity and kilocalorie intake could be due to a change in environment since the children started school on week 8. Future implications of this study are that parental involvement is necessary for an effective, sustainable change in these children. More research in different settings is necessary to determine NHA's effectiveness
ContributorsPatel, Kapila Cristina (Author) / Krajmalnik-Brown, Rosa (Thesis director) / Whisner, Corrie (Committee member) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of Life Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2016-05
Description
Since 1975, the prevalence of obesity has nearly tripled around the world. In 2016, 39% of adults, or 1.9 billion people, were considered overweight, and 13% of adults, or 650 million people, were considered obese. Furthermore, Cardiovascular disease remains to be the leading cause of death for adults in the United States, with 655,000 people dying from related conditions and consequences each year. Including fiber in one’s dietary regimen has been shown to greatly improve health outcomes in regards to these two areas of health. However, not much literature is available on the effects of corn-based fiber, especially detailing the individual components of the grain itself. The purpose of this preliminary study was to test the differences in influence on both LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides between treatments based on whole-grain corn flour, refined corn flour, and 50% refined corn flour + 50% corn bran derived from whole grain cornmeal (excellent fiber) in healthy overweight (BMI ≥ 25.0 kg/m2) adults (ages 18 - 70) with high LDL cholesterol (LDL ≥ 120mg/dL). 20 participants, ages 18 - 64 (10 males, 10 females) were involved. Data was derived from blood draws taken before and after each of the three treatments as well as before and after each treatment’s wash out periods. A general linear model was used to assess the effect of corn products on circulating concentrations of LDL-cholesterol and triglycerides. From the model, it was found that the whole-grain corn flour and the 50% refined corn flour + 50% corn bran drive from whole grain cornmeal treatments produced a higher, similar benefit in reductions in LDL-cholesterol. However, the whole grain flour, refined flour, and bran-based fiber treatments did not influence the triglyceride levels of the participants throughout this study. Further research is needed to elucidate the effects of these fiber items on cardiometabolic disease markers in the long-term as well as with a larger sample size.
ContributorsLe, Justin (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis director) / Ortega Santos, Carmen (Committee member) / School of Molecular Sciences (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2021-05
Description
Immigrants and their U.S.-born children account for 26% of the American population as of 2020. Despite this large proportion, 14% of immigrants live below the federal poverty line compared to 12% of U.S.-born citizens. The immigrant population is vulnerable to food and housing insecurity and limited access to social services and medical care, on top of navigating the increasingly convoluted immigration system. Migrant women and children are especially at risk for systemic, poverty-related adversities. Periods of pregnancy and postpartum are particularly financially straining due to employment disruptions and additional expenses. Migrant mothers experience adverse health outcomes due to chronic stress, unstable living situations, integration barriers, and an unfavorable occupational environment during pregnancy. In addition to the postpartum needs of a new mother and her baby, these challenges may be barriers to maintaining breastfeeding. The unanticipated COVID-19 pandemic exasperated many existing systemic inequities and brought additional hardship. This study aims to investigate breastfeeding rates among immigrant mothers compared to U.S.-born mothers and other social disparities that affect health. While this study did not find a statistical difference between breastfeeding adherence and immigrant status during the COVID-19 pandemic, other risk factors relating to maternal-child health were identified. Immigrant families were more likely to experience job or income loss and a higher frequency of food insecurity compared to families with U.S.-born parents. The risks of being impoverished greatly reduce the incidence of breastfeeding, which can offer tremendous health benefits both to mother and baby. Most immigrants migrating to the U.S. are ethnic minorities who face additional societal disparities in culture, employment, economic stability, safety, and healthcare. The burden of social determinants of health that impact this population is not unique to adults. The moment a child is born into an immigrant family, particularly if they are also an ethnic minority, they inherit risk factors that can impact their entire lifespan. Ultimately, the risks associated with pregnancy and infant feeding are issues of social justice and health equity.
ContributorsFahmy, Gabriella (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis advisor) / Schuster, Roseanne (Thesis advisor) / Mayol-Kreiser, Sandra (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2023
Associations Between Rapid Infant Weight Gain, Infant Feeding Practice and the Infant Gut Microbiome
Description
Background: Rapid infant weight gain (RWG) by six months of age has been identified as one of the earliest indicators of childhood obesity. Previous research suggests that exclusive breastfeeding over formula feeding may serve a protective effect from RWG. In addition, the makeup of the infant gut microbiome may influence RWG as differences in feeding practices have been shown to alter the bacterial makeup of the gut, potentially impacting energy metabolism. However, little research has been conducted investigating the potential relationships between RWG, infant feeding practices, and the infant gut microbiome.Methods: This study was a pilot study, which included 31 mother-infant dyads who were primarily recruited from Women, Infant, and Children’s Supplemental Nutrition Program (WIC) clinics and by word of mouth in the Southwestern United States. Participants were followed over six months, with study staff conducting home study visits four times (pregnancy, two days postpartum, three weeks and six months). Mothers who participated in this study were majority White (n=40.6%), non-Hispanic or Latino (67.7%), and obtained a graduate degree (n=22.6%). Participants were included in this analysis (n=22) if they provided at least two infant fecal samples, and the study staff were able to collect infant anthropometric data at the three-week and six-month study visits. Microbial DNA from fecal samples was sequenced using the Illumina MiSeq instrument after polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification was performed on the V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene sequence. Statistical analysis was performed using the QIIME2 longitudinal plug-in.
Results: Results of this study suggested a significant difference in weighted UniFrac between infants who were exclusively breastfed and formula-fed from birth to three weeks of age. Additionally, an exploratory statistical method identified family Prevotellaceae as a potentially volatile microbe; however, this model failed to reach significance for either RWG or mode of feeding. Overall, no additional alpha or beta diversity metrics or differential abundance of microbes by either RWG or feeding practice group was found in this study.
Conclusion: Future research is warranted to further explore potential connections between RWG, infant feeding practices, and the infant gut microbiome in a longitudinal study with a larger sample size.
ContributorsToffoli, Samantha (Author) / Whisner, Corrie (Thesis advisor) / Bruening, Meg (Committee member) / Sears, Dorothy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2021