Matching Items (78)
Description
Food system and health characteristics were evaluated across the last Waorani hunter-gatherer group in Amazonian Ecuador and a remote neighboring Kichwa indigenous subsistence agriculture community. Hunter-gatherer food systems like the Waorani foragers may not only be nutritionally, but also pharmaceutically beneficial because of high dietary intake of varied plant phytochemical compounds. A modern diet that reduces these dietary plant defense phytochemicals below levels typical in human evolutionary history may leave humans vulnerable to diseases that were controlled through a foraging diet. Few studies consider the health impact of the recent drastic reduction of plant phytochemical content in the modern global food system, which has eliminated essential components of food because they are not considered "nutrients". The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory nature of the food system may not only regulate infectious pathogens and inflammatory disease, but also support beneficial microbes in human hosts, reducing vulnerability to chronic diseases. Waorani foragers seem immune to certain infections with very low rates of chronic disease. Does returning to certain characteristics of a foraging food system begin to restore the human body microbe balance and inflammatory response to evolutionary norms, and if so, what implication does this have for the treatment of disease? Several years of data on dietary and health differences across the foragers and the farmers was gathered. There were major differences in health outcomes across the board. In the Waorani forager group there were no signs of infection in serious wounds such as 3rd degree burns and spear wounds. The foragers had one-degree lower body temperature than the farmers. The Waorani had an absence of signs of chronic diseases including vision and blood pressure that did not change markedly with age while Kichwa farmers suffered from both chronic diseases and physiological indicators of aging. In the Waorani forager population, there was an absence of many common regional infectious diseases, from helminthes to staphylococcus. Study design helped control for confounders (exercise, environment, genetic factors, non-phytochemical dietary intake). This study provides evidence of the major role total phytochemical dietary intake plays in human health, often not considered by policymakers and nutritional and agricultural scientists.
ContributorsLondon, Douglas (Author) / Tsuda, Takeyuki (Thesis advisor) / Beezhold, Bonnie L (Committee member) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Eder, James (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
The health situation of indigenous peoples is comparable to that of the world's poorest populations, but with the additional burdens of social and cultural marginalization, geographic and cultural barriers to accessing health services, and, in some areas, appropriation of land and natural resources. Cultural transmission (the transfer of beliefs, ideas, and behaviors from one culture to another) from outsider health institutions should presumably aid in closing this health gap by transferring knowledge, practices, and infrastructure to prevent and treat disease. This study examines the biosocial construction of the disease ecology of tuberculosis (TB) in indigenous communities of the Paraguayan Chaco with varying degrees of cultural transmission from outside institutions (government, religious, and NGOs), to determine the influence of cultural transmission on local disease ecologies. Using a biocultural epidemiological framework for the analysis of human infectious disease ecology, this study employed an interdisciplinary, mixed methods approach to examine the interactions of host, pathogen, and the environment in the Paraguayan Chaco. Three case studies examining aspects of TB disease ecology in indigenous communities are presented: (1) The effective cultural transmission of biomedical knowledge to isolated communities, (2) Public health infrastructure, hygiene, and the prevalence of intestinal parasites: co-morbidities that promote the progression to active TB disease, and (3) Community-level risk factors for TB and indigenous TB burden. Findings from the case studies suggest that greater influence from outside institutions was not associated with greater adoption of biomedical knowledge of TB. The prevalence of helminthiasis was unexpectedly low, but infection with giardia was common, even in a community with cleaner water sources. Communities with a health post were more likely to report active adult TB, while communities with more education were less likely to report active pediatric TB, suggesting that healthcare access is the major determinant of TB detection. More research is needed on the role of non-indigenous community residents and other measures of acculturation or integration in TB outcomes, especially at the household level. Indigenous TB burden in the Chaco is disproportionately high, and better understanding of the mechanisms that produce higher incidence and prevalence of the disease is needed.
ContributorsVansteelandt, Amanda (Author) / Hurtado, Ana Magdalena (Thesis advisor) / Stone, Anne (Thesis advisor) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Rojas de Arias, Antonieta (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2014
Description
This dissertation is intended to tie together a body of work which utilizes a variety of methods to study applied mathematical models involving heterogeneity often omitted with classical modeling techniques. I posit three cogent classifications of heterogeneity: physiological, behavioral, and local (specifically connectivity in this work). I consider physiological heterogeneity using the method of transport equations to study heterogeneous susceptibility to diseases in open populations (those with births and deaths). I then present three separate models of behavioral heterogeneity. An SIS/SAS model of gonorrhea transmission in a population of highly active men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) is presented to study the impact of safe behavior (prevention and self-awareness) on the prevalence of this endemic disease. Behavior is modeled in this examples via static parameters describing consistent condom use and frequency of STD testing. In an example of behavioral heterogeneity, in the absence of underlying dynamics, I present a generalization to ``test theory without an answer key" (also known as cultural consensus modeling or CCM). CCM is commonly used to study the distribution of cultural knowledge within a population. The generalized framework presented allows for selecting the best model among various extensions of CCM: multiple subcultures, estimating the degree to which individuals guess yes, and making competence homogenous in the population. This permits model selection based on the principle of information criteria. The third behaviorally heterogeneous model studies adaptive behavioral response based on epidemiological-economic theory within an $SIR$ epidemic setting. Theorems used to analyze the stability of such models with a generalized, non-linear incidence structure are adapted and applied to the case of standard incidence and adaptive incidence. As an example of study in spatial heterogeneity I provide an explicit solution to a generalization of the continuous time approximation of the Albert-Barabasi scale-free network algorithm. The solution is found by recursively solving the differential equations via integrating factors, identifying a pattern for the coefficients and then proving this observed pattern is consistent using induction. An application to disease dynamics on such evolving structures is then studied.
ContributorsMorin, Benjamin (Author) / Castillo-Chavez, Carlos (Thesis advisor) / Hiebeler, David (Thesis advisor) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Suslov, Sergei (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2012
Description
Cardiovascular disease and diabetes are major health burdens. Diabetes is a primary risk factor of cardiovascular disease, and there is a strong link between obesity and risk of developing diabetes. With the prevalence of prediabetes highest among overweight/obese individuals, investigation into preventative strategies are needed. Aerobic exercise is a potent stimulus for both insulin and non-insulin dependent glucose uptake into the skeletal muscle. A single exercise session can improve insulin sensitivity within hours after exercise. The effects of intensity, type, and volume of exercise on glucose homeostasis have been studied extensively; however, controlling for muscle contraction frequency with a constant exercise intensity and workload has not been examined. The purpose of this study was to compare muscle contraction frequency during aerobic exercise by altering cycling cadence on insulin sensitivity and vascular health. Eleven obese males (age=28yr, BMI=35kg/m2) completed three conditions in random order: 1) control-no exercise; 2) 45-min cycling at 45 revolutions per minute (45RPM) at 65-75%VO2max; 3) 45-min cycling at 90RPM at 65-75%VO2max. Glucose control and insulin sensitivity were assessed with oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) 4 hours post-exercise. Vascular health was assessed via flow-mediated dilation (FMD) pre-exercise, 1-hr and 2-hr post exercise and ambulatory blood pressure was assessed pre-exercise, and continually every 15 min post-exercise. Linear mixed models were used to compare the mean differences in outcome variables. There were no significant differences found between control and both exercise conditions for all OGTT outcomes and no differences were found between control and exercise in FMD (all, p>0.05). Significant effects for exercise were found for both brachial and central blood pressure measures. Brachial systolic blood pressures were lower at 2- and 4-hr post-exercise by approximately -10 and -8mmHg, respectively (p<0.001 and p=0.004) versus control. Central systolic blood pressures were lower at 2-, 3-, and 4-hr post-exercise by approximately -8, -9 and -6mmHg, respectively (p<0.001, p=0.021 and p=0.004) versus control. In conclusion, aerobic exercise, regardless of muscle contraction frequency, were unable to effect glucose control and insulin sensitivity. Similarly, there was no effect on vascular function. However, there was a significant effect of aerobic exercise on reducing post-exercise blood pressure.
ContributorsJarrett, Catherine Lee (Author) / Gaesser, Glenn A (Thesis advisor) / Angadi, Siddhartha S (Committee member) / Dickinson, Jared M (Committee member) / Whisner, Corrie M (Committee member) / Todd, Michael W (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2017
Description
No studies have evaluated the impact of tracking resting energy expenditure (REE) and modifiable health behaviors on gestational weight gain (GWG). In this controlled trial, pregnant women aged >18 years (X=29.8±4.9 years) with a gestational age (GA) <17 weeks were randomized to Breezing™ (N=16) or control (N=12) for 13 weeks. The Breezing™ group used a real-time metabolism tracker to obtain REE. Anthropometrics, diet, and sleep data were collected every 2 weeks. Rate of GWG was calculated as weight gain divided by total duration. Early (GA weeks 14-21), late (GA weeks 21-28), and overall (GA week 14-28) changes in macronutrients, sleep, and GWG were calculated. Mediation models were constructed using SPSS PROCESS macro using a bootstrap estimation approach with 10,000 samples. The majority of women were non-Hispanic Caucasian (78.6%). A total of 35.7% (n=10), 35.7% (n=10), and 28.6% (n=8) were normal weight, overweight, and obese, respectively, with 83.3% (n=10) and 87.5% (n=14) of the Control and Breezing™ groups gaining above IOM GWG recommendations. At baseline, macronutrient consumption did not differ. Overall (Breezing™ vs. Control; M diff=-349.08±150.77, 95% CI: -660.26 to -37.90, p=0.029) and late (M diff=-379.90±143.89, 95% CI:-676.87 to -82.93, p=0.014) changes in energy consumption significantly differed between the groups. Overall (M diff=-22.45±11.03, 95% CI: -45.20 to 0.31, p=0.053), late (M diff=-23.16±11.23, 95% CI: -46.33 to 0.01, p=0.05), and early (M diff=20.3±10.19, 95% CI: -0.74 to 41.34, p=0.058) changes in protein differed by group. Nocturnal total sleep time differed by study group (Breezing vs. Control; M diff=-32.75, 95% CI: -68.34 to 2.84, p=0.069). There was a 11.5% increase in total REE throughout the study. Early changes in REE (72±211 kcals) were relatively small while late changes (128±294 kcals) nearly doubled. Interestingly, early changes in REE demonstrated a moderate, positive correlation with rates of GWG later in pregnancy (r=0.528, p=0.052), suggesting that REE assessment early in pregnancy may help predict changes in GWG. Changes in macronutrients did not mediate the relationship between the intervention and GWG, nor did sleep mediate relationships between dietary intake and GWG. Future research evaluating REE and dietary composition throughout pregnancy may provide insight for appropriate GWG recommendations.
ContributorsVander Wyst, Kiley Bernhard (Author) / Whisner, Corrie M (Thesis advisor) / Reifsnider, Elizabeth G. (Committee member) / Petrov, Megan E (Committee member) / Buman, Matthew (Committee member) / Shaibi, Gabriel Q (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Background In the United States (US), first-year university students typically live on campus and purchase a meal plan. In general, meal plans allow the student a set number of meals per week or semester, or unlimited meals. Understanding how students’ use their meal plan, and barriers and facilitators to meal plan use, may help decrease nutrition-related issues.
Methods First-year students’ meal plan and residence information was provided by a large, public, southwestern university for the 2015-2016 academic year. A subset of students (n=619) self-reported their food security status. Logistic generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to determine if meal plan purchase and use were associated with food insecurity. Linear GEEs were used to examine several potential reasons for lower meal plan use. Logistic and Linear GEEs were used to determine similarities in meal plan purchase and use for a total of 599 roommate pairs (n=1186 students), and 557 floormates.
Results Students did not use all of the meals available to them; 7% of students did not use their meal plan for an entire month. After controlling for socioeconomic factors, compared to students on unlimited meal plans, students on the cheapest meal plan were more likely to report food insecurity (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.2, 4.1). In Fall, 26% of students on unlimited meal plans reported food insecurity. Students on the 180 meals/semester meal plan who used fewer meals were more likely to report food insecurity (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.8, 1.0); after gender stratification this was only evident for males. Students’ meal plan use was lower if the student worked a job (β=-1.3, 95% CI=-2.3, -0.3) and higher when their roommate used their meal plan frequently (β=0.09, 99% CI=0.04, 0.14). Roommates on the same meal plan (OR=1.56, 99% CI=1.28, 1.89) were more likely to use their meals together.
Discussion This study suggests that determining why students are not using their meal plan may be key to minimizing the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses, and that strategic roommate assignments may result in students’ using their meal plan more frequently. Students’ meal plan information provides objective insights into students’ university transition.
Methods First-year students’ meal plan and residence information was provided by a large, public, southwestern university for the 2015-2016 academic year. A subset of students (n=619) self-reported their food security status. Logistic generalized estimating equations (GEEs) were used to determine if meal plan purchase and use were associated with food insecurity. Linear GEEs were used to examine several potential reasons for lower meal plan use. Logistic and Linear GEEs were used to determine similarities in meal plan purchase and use for a total of 599 roommate pairs (n=1186 students), and 557 floormates.
Results Students did not use all of the meals available to them; 7% of students did not use their meal plan for an entire month. After controlling for socioeconomic factors, compared to students on unlimited meal plans, students on the cheapest meal plan were more likely to report food insecurity (OR=2.2, 95% CI=1.2, 4.1). In Fall, 26% of students on unlimited meal plans reported food insecurity. Students on the 180 meals/semester meal plan who used fewer meals were more likely to report food insecurity (OR=0.9, 95% CI=0.8, 1.0); after gender stratification this was only evident for males. Students’ meal plan use was lower if the student worked a job (β=-1.3, 95% CI=-2.3, -0.3) and higher when their roommate used their meal plan frequently (β=0.09, 99% CI=0.04, 0.14). Roommates on the same meal plan (OR=1.56, 99% CI=1.28, 1.89) were more likely to use their meals together.
Discussion This study suggests that determining why students are not using their meal plan may be key to minimizing the prevalence of food insecurity on college campuses, and that strategic roommate assignments may result in students’ using their meal plan more frequently. Students’ meal plan information provides objective insights into students’ university transition.
Contributorsvan Woerden, Irene (Author) / Bruening, Meg (Thesis advisor) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Schaefer, David (Committee member) / Vega-Lopez, Sonia (Committee member) / Adams, Marc (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Introduction: Cystic fibrosis (CF) is the most common life-shortening autosomal recessive genetic disease affecting Caucasians. The disease is characterized by a dysfunctional cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein and aberrant mucus accumulation that subsequently alters the physicochemical environment in numerous organ systems. These mucosal perturbations have been associated with inflammation and microbial dysbiosis, most notably in the lungs and gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Genistein, a soy isoflavone and dietary polyphenol, has been shown to modulate CFTR function in cell cultures and murine models, as well exert sex-dependent improvement of survival rates in a CF mouse model. However, it is unknown whether dietary genistein affects gut microbiome diversity and community structure in cystic fibrosis. This study sought to examine associations between dietary genistein treatment and gut microbiome diversity and community structure in a murine model of CF. Methods: Twenty-four male and female mice homozygous for the DF508 CFTR gene mutation were maintained on one of three diet regimens for a 45-day period (n=11, standard chow; n=7, Colyte-treated water and standard chow; n=6, 600 mg dietary genistein per kg body weight). One fecal pellet was collected per mouse post-treatment, and microbial genomic DNA was extracted from the fecal samples, quantified, amplified, and sequenced on the Illumina MiSeq platform. QIIME 2 was used to conduct alpha- and beta-diversity analyses on all samples. Results: Measures of alpha-diversity were significantly decreased in the dietary genistein group as compared to either standard chow or Colyte groups. Measures of beta-diversity showed that community structure differed significantly between dietary treatment groups; these differences were further illustrated by distinct clustering of taxa as shown by principal coordinates analysis plots. Conclusion: This 3-arm parallel experimental study showed that dietary genistein treatment was associated with decreased microbial diversity and differences in microbial community structure in DF508 mice.
ContributorsArgo, Katy Bryana (Author) / Whisner, Corrie M (Thesis advisor) / Al-Nakkash, Layla (Committee member) / Sweazea, Karen L (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Background: Nearly 95% of Americans will develop hypertension, and 67% will not seek treatment. Furthermore, hypertension is the leading risk factor for coronary heart disease. While previous studies have increased the use of blood pressure medication among patients that have received hypertension education, medications may not work for everyone. Due to the life-threatening nature of this condition, it is essential to find an effective alternative for treatment. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of organometallic complex supplementation on hypertension and left ventricular hypertrophy in 6-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats that were fed either standard rodent chow or a high fat diet for 10 weeks at a university in Arizona.
Methods: Forty-two healthy six-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: plain water control, 0.6 mg/ml organometallic complex or 3.0 mg/ml organometallic complex as soon as they arrived. Each rat was then housed individually to prevent the sharing of microbiota through coprophagia. Rats in each treatment group were further divided into two dietary groups that were fed either a high fat diet containing 60% kcal fat that was changed every three days or standard rodent chow. Researchers were not blind to which rat was in each group. At the end of the 10-week study, rats were euthanized with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital (200 mg/kg, i.p.). Heart, left ventricle of the heart, liver, and spleen masses were recorded for each animal. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA using SigmaPlot 10.0 software.
Results: At the conclusion of this study, the left ventricle mass of the rats in the high fat diet group were significantly larger than those in the chow group. Neither dose of the organometallic complex supplement prevented these effects induced by high fat feeding.
Conclusion: The organometallic complex supplement was not effective at mitigating the effects of a high fat diet on cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Therefore, this supplement should not be used to treat cardiac hypertrophy.
Methods: Forty-two healthy six-week old male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of three groups: plain water control, 0.6 mg/ml organometallic complex or 3.0 mg/ml organometallic complex as soon as they arrived. Each rat was then housed individually to prevent the sharing of microbiota through coprophagia. Rats in each treatment group were further divided into two dietary groups that were fed either a high fat diet containing 60% kcal fat that was changed every three days or standard rodent chow. Researchers were not blind to which rat was in each group. At the end of the 10-week study, rats were euthanized with an overdose of sodium pentobarbital (200 mg/kg, i.p.). Heart, left ventricle of the heart, liver, and spleen masses were recorded for each animal. Data were analyzed by two-way ANOVA using SigmaPlot 10.0 software.
Results: At the conclusion of this study, the left ventricle mass of the rats in the high fat diet group were significantly larger than those in the chow group. Neither dose of the organometallic complex supplement prevented these effects induced by high fat feeding.
Conclusion: The organometallic complex supplement was not effective at mitigating the effects of a high fat diet on cardiac hypertrophy in rats. Therefore, this supplement should not be used to treat cardiac hypertrophy.
ContributorsMcCormick, Kelly Ann (Author) / Sweazea, Karen L (Thesis advisor) / Whisner, Corrie M (Committee member) / Alexon, Christy (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
Most American children consume less than the recommend amount of fruits and vegetables (F&V), 74% and 84%, respectively. Eating too few F&V in childhood is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, respiratory symptoms, and some cancers later in life. Adequate F&V consumption favorably impacts antioxidant status, gut flora, mood, and cognitive functioning. Nutrients such as vitamin C and fiber are only naturally occurring in plant foods. For many children, school lunches are an important source of F&V. This pilot study assessed the feasibility of providing condiments to increase children’s consumption of salad bar F&V in an elementary school cafeteria at lunchtime. The trial site was a single Title 1 elementary school in a large, urban district in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. Taste tests were conducted on three convenience samples of children in grades 3 – 7, aged 8 – 12 years (n=57) to identify the most popular condiment flavors. The five highest rated flavors were made available daily at a “flavor station” in the school’s lunchroom for three consecutive weeks during the Fall 2018 semester. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze data. A cost analysis was conducted for capital outlays related to the flavor station. School employee perceptions of F&V and the flavor station were assessed via posttest online surveys. Peanut butter was rated the best tasting condiment by children and was the only condiment that increased in popularity throughout the intervention. Overall, daily F&V consumption increased 17 g per child. There was a linear increase in F&V consumption during the study (r=0.986; P=0.014). As a proportion of the total F&V selected, F&V waste decreased by nearly 3%. The average daily cost of providing the flavor station was $0.09 per student. Sixty-five percent of school staff felt that the flavor station should continue at their school. Peanut butter is an affordable, nutrient-dense food that accommodates the USDA Food and Nutrition Service meal patterns and nutrition standards, and thus, is a viable strategy for increasing F&V consumption and decreasing F&V waste. The results herein inform the development of future interventions to improve the palatability of F&V for children.
ContributorsScholtz, Cameron (Author) / Johnston, Carol (Thesis advisor) / Alexon, Christy (Committee member) / Hooker, Steven (Committee member) / Schwake, David (Committee member) / Swan, Pamela (Committee member) / Wharton, Christopher (Christopher Mack), 1977- (Committee member) / Arizona State University (Publisher)
Created2019
Description
The Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, was signed into law with the goals of providing quality and affordable health care to every American, but there is concern that not enough young adults are gaining health insurance. Some believe it is because of the "young invincible" mentality of being healthy enough to not need health insurance, and others claim that the cost of health care is the main reason behind low enrollment rates in young adults. However, young adults may not be obtaining insurance because of a lack of understanding and awareness concerning the ACA. Do young adults understand how the ACA functions, and does this understanding (or lack thereof) determine their opinions towards it? In order to research this question, students at Arizona State University were given the opportunity to complete a survey and interview detailing their knowledge of Obamacare and how they felt about the health care law. Results indicated that though many respondents supported the law, respondents did not feel like they had enough information to understand the health care law, affecting their knowledge of it. These findings imply that in order for the ACA to be considered successful among young adults, awareness and education of the law must increase in order for young people to feel like they have an adequate understanding of it.
ContributorsBrewer, Katherine Alysse (Author) / Gaughan, Monica (Thesis director) / Hruschka, Daniel (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of Human Evolution and Social Change (Contributor) / School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies (Contributor)
Created2015-05