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The popular calorie counter app, MyFitnessPal, used to improve dietary sodium intake: a four-week randomized parallel trial

Description
Nutrition instruction has become more accessible; it is no longer relegated to the doctor’s office, dietitian briefing, outpatient clinic, or hospital. Now it is available in people’s hands, pockets, and purses via their smartphone. Since nutrition instruction has become more accessible, health professionals and members of the general public are…

Nutrition instruction has become more accessible; it is no longer relegated to the doctor’s office, dietitian briefing, outpatient clinic, or hospital. Now it is available in people’s hands, pockets, and purses via their smartphone. Since nutrition instruction has become more accessible, health professionals and members of the general public are increasingly interested in using smartphone apps to assist with health-related dietary changes. With more and more of the population required to follow certain dietary recommendations and/or monitor specific nutrient intake, commercially available apps may be a useful and cost-effective resource for the public. The purpose of this four-week intervention was to determine if the popular calorie counter app, MyFitnessPal, can be used to reduce sodium intake to ≤ 2,300 mg/day compared to the traditional paper-and-pencil method. This four-week randomized parallel trial enrolled 30 generally healthy adults who were 18 to 80 years of age. Participants were randomly assigned to the MyFitnessPal (“APP”) group or to the paper (“PAP”) group and required to meet three times with the researcher for screening, baseline (start), and completion of the study. There was a significant difference in the mean urinary sodium change between the APP group and the PAP group from the start of the intervention to the completion (-24.0±32.6 and 8.5±41.9 mmol/g creatinine respectively, p = 0.027). Other positive trends that resulted from the intervention included a decline in dietary sodium in both groups and a higher adherence in the APP group compared to the PAP group regarding recording method. The MyFitnessPal app proved to be a useful tool in reducing and/or monitoring sodium intake. Thus, this trial reinforces the potential of this app to be used for monitoring other nutrients, but further research needs to be conducted.
ContributorsIpjian, Michelle (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Shepard, Christina (Committee member) / Johnson, Melinda (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2016
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Grains that Compensate for Nutrient Deficiencies in a Gluten-Free Diet

Description
The Gluten-Free Diet (GFD) is increasing in prevalence due to increased diagnoses of Celiac Disease, however deficiencies have been found to persist in individuals with Celiac Disease who have been on the diet for a prolonged period of time. These deficiencies are not the result of continued GI inability to…

The Gluten-Free Diet (GFD) is increasing in prevalence due to increased diagnoses of Celiac Disease, however deficiencies have been found to persist in individuals with Celiac Disease who have been on the diet for a prolonged period of time. These deficiencies are not the result of continued GI inability to absorb the nutrients (as evidenced by biopsy) and, therefore, are inherent to the diet itself. Comparing these deficiencies to nutrient-dense gluten-free grains reveals those that specifically meet the deficiencies evident in the GFD. These include low-fat soy flour, buckwheat, and sorghum as the most nutritionally adequate for the gluten-free individual.
ContributorsFaust, Janessa Kaye (Author) / Morse, Lisa (Thesis director) / Johnson, Melinda (Committee member) / Hampl, Jeffrey (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Nutrition and Health Promotion (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2013-05