abstract: While literature has examined the associations between emotions and overeating, rarely is the relationship between emotions and food choices included. The purpose of this secondary data analysis was to utilize mobile-based ecological momentary assessment (EMA) surveys to determine the associations among negative, positive, apathetic, and mixed emotions and a variety of food choices in college freshmen living in residence halls. A total of 2142 survey responses from 647 college freshmen were included in this analysis (70.3% female, 51.5% non-white). Mixed model logistic regression assessed the cross-sectional association between emotions and food choices adjusting for gender, race/ethnicity, Pell grant status, highest parental education, and the clustering of repeated measures within person and of students within residence hall. There were no significant associations between negative emotions and food choices. Positive emotions were significantly and inversely associated with eating pizza/fast food (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.5, 0.8) and cereals (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.4, 1.0), while apathetic emotions were significantly and positively associated with consuming salty snacks/fried foods (OR=1.6; 95% CI=1.1, 2.5) and inversely associated with consuming sandwiches/wraps (OR=0.5; 95% CI=0.3, 0.8) and meats/proteins (OR=0.6; 95% CI=0.4, 1.0). It was also found that there were several instances of surveys with mixed emotions, in which participants reported feeling two conflicting emotions at once (i.e. positive and negative). Mixed emotions were significantly associated with consuming sweets (OR=1.6; 95% CI=1.2, 2.1), meats/proteins (OR=1.6; 95% CI=1.2, 2.0), and cereals (OR=1.9; 95% CI=1.2, 2.9). Understanding the relationships between different types of emotions and food choices is helpful in understanding the motivation behind healthy versus unhealthy food choices. These findings can be used to develop interventions that encourage positive emotions in college freshmen to better promote healthy food choices and ultimately reduce the risk of weight gain and other health disparities. Future research should examine how college freshmen differ from other college students (i.e. upper classmen and graduate students), particularly related to their emotions and food choices, so that dietary interventions can be better suited to those who are vulnerable. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2016

abstract: Although many studies have looked into the relationship between home food availability and dietary intake, few have assessed actual change in the home food environment as a result of an intervention program. This secondary data analysis of the Athletes for Life 3 (AFL3) program investigated the efficacy of a randomized controlled 12-week community-based, family-focused exercise and dietary behavior intervention program in improving the home food environment of families with children between the ages of 6 and 11 years old. A total of twenty-six adults from Phoenix, Arizona allowed research staff into their homes to assess variety of food availability, using a modified version of the Home Food Inventory and were randomized to either the AFL3 program or wait-list control group. The main outcomes of interest were change in availability of vegetables, fruits, sugar-sweetened beverages and desserts and WIC-approved breakfast cereal. There was a significant increase in the number of vegetable items (3.88 ± 0.85; p=0.006) and WIC-approved cereal items (1.16 ± 0.31; p=0.003) in the homes of the intervention participants, relative to the wait-list control group. Additionally, there was a significant decrease in the number of sugar-sweetened beverage items (1.18 ± 0.31; p=0.014) available in wait-list control participant homes. There were no other significant findings related to home food availability. Furthermore, dietary intake among adult participants did not significantly change as a result of change in home availability. In conclusion, the AFL3 intervention program was successful in eliciting small but significant changes at a household level related to vegetable and WIC-approved breakfast cereal availability. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2016

abstract: Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the world, responsible for 17.3 million deaths annually. Aerobic activity and almond ingestion have a cardio-protective effect against cardiovascular disease, however, the synergistic effect of both interventions is not known. This 8-week randomized, parallel, two-arm study examined the combined effect of daily almond ingestion (2.5 ounces) and brisk walking (10,000 steps per day) compared to ingestion of an isocaloric placebo (4 Tbsp cookie butter) and brisk walking (10,000 steps per day) in sedentary adults on various markers of cardiovascular health. The additive effect of the daily walking intervention with almond consumption resulted in significant differences in total cholesterol with a -11.0 ± 10.5 and +3.3 ± 15.8 mg/dL (p=0.043) change in the ALM and CON group respectively and LDL with a -11.5 ± 7.5 and +0.5 ± 13.7 mg/dL (p=0.025) change in the ALM and CON group respectively. There was a trend for TBARS to decrease in the ALM group versus the CON group (-0.2 ± 0.8 and +0.3 ± 0.6 nmol MDA/mL (p=0.099) respectively) with a large effect size of 0.304 but this did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant differences seen in markers of other plasma lipid profile measures, plasma inflammatory cytokines, or blood pressure regulation. Results suggest that the simple, cost-effective, and accessible intervention of daily brisk walking and almond consumption is an effective strategy to reduce cardiovascular disease risk in sedentary adults through improvements in cholesterol. This represents a pilot study due to the small sample size, therefore, additional studies are needed to determine the impact and mechanisms of this synergistic effect. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2017

abstract: Sustainability, as it relates to nutrition, affects all aspects of food from systems-level production to consumption. Viability of local food systems in the southwest of the United States has been largely understudied. In order to address this gap in the literature, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 farmers in Arizona and New Mexico to determine best practices, challenges and barriers to farming. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded for themes. Many trends were consistent with those reported elsewhere in the US, but the importance of water emerged, a unique need not explicitly noted in other regional studies. Vegetarian diets are typically more sustainable than omnivorous ones due to using less environmental resources in the production of food. An important consideration with plant protein and vegetarian diets, however, is whether this would affect athletic performance. To examine this, 70 male and female endurance athletes were compared for maximal oxygen uptake (VO2 max), peak torque when doing leg extensions, and body composition. Vegetarians had higher VO2 max, but peak torque was not significantly different by diet. Omnivores had higher total body mass, lean body mass, and there was a trend for peak torque to be higher. To investigate whether plant-protein can comparably support development of lean body mass and strength development in conjunction with strength training, 61 healthy young males and females began a 12-week training and protein supplementation study. While previous training studies have shown no differences for lean body mass or strength development when consuming either soy (plant) or whey (animal) protein supplements in very large amounts (>48 grams), when consuming around 15-20 grams, whey has contributed to greater lean body mass accrual, although strength increases remain similar. The present study matched supplements by leucine content instead of by total protein amount since leucine has been shown to be a key stimulator of muscle protein synthesis and is more concentrated in animal protein. There were no significant differences between the whey or soy group for lean body mass or strength development, as assessed using isokinetic dynamometry doing leg extensions and flexions. / Dissertation/Thesis / Doctoral Dissertation Physical Activity, Nutrition and Wellness 2017

abstract: Although past literature has examined the prevalence of campus food pantries, most have not examined student satisfaction of campus food pantries the acceptability and feasibility of the campus food pantries in the U.S. This descriptive and quasi-experimental study assessed the acceptability and feasibility of campus food pantry intervention on two campuses (Downtown Phoenix and Tempe) at Arizona State University (ASU). The acceptability measures were composed of 30 survey questions including demographics, satisfaction survey, and food insecurity questionnaires, which were abstracted from the U.S. Adult 10-Item Food Security Survey Module. The food pantry was open once a week at each site. Any ASU students who enrolled in Spring 2017 and visited a food pantry were eligible to participate in the study. A total of 39 ASU students participated in the study during January 2017 and February 2017 (48.1 % female, 42.3 % White). The number of surveys collected at each site was 52. The majority of students were first-year undergraduate students (57.9% Downtown Phoenix, 45.5% Tempe). Based on their answers to the U.S. Adult 10-Item Food Security Survey Module, 21.2% of students (n=11) indicated low food security, while 48.1% of students (n=25) indicated very low food security. Almost 70% of pantry users reported that they have experienced food insecurity. In this study, the majority (90%) of students were satisfied with the service, hours of operation, and location for both the Downtown and Tempe food pantries. Additionally, 85.7% of students reported that they need additional resources such as financial aid (49%), a career center (18.4%), health services (10.2%), and other services (8.2%). The Pitchfork Pantry operated by student, university, and community support. Total donations received between Fall 2016 and Spring 2017 were 4,600 food items. The study found that most students were highly satisfied with the campus food pantries and it was feasible to operate two pantries on the ASU campus. These findings can be used to contribute to future research into campus food pantries, which may be the solution for food insecurity intervention among college populations. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2018

abstract: ABSTRACT Many natural interventions have been effective at lowering postprandial glucose concentrations (PPG) in research trials and, theoretically, should have favorable effects on the prevention and management of T2DM. Natural interventions include vinegar, nuts and exercise. Green tea has been demonstrated to also possessing antiglycemic effects. Thus, green tea, and its most abundant catechin EGCG, are being consumed for its potential health benefits in cancer prevention and in its inhibitory effects on α-amylase. Many studies have found EGCG to inhibit α-amylase an enzyme needed in the breakdown of carbohydrates (CHO). Other studies have looked at EGCG and its potential for lowering PPG concentrations due to its inhibitory effects on α-amylase in both mice and humans. Yet there is no research on Matcha tea specifically. Matcha tea is green tea in powder form; hence, it is consumed in its entirety unlike traditional teas which are steeped in bags. The purpose of this study was to determine whether Macha tea impacts PPG concentrations in healthy adults. Twelve subjects completed this randomized controlled, single blinded, crossover study. On three separate occasions the twelve subjects consumed a bagel and jam with either water, Lipton green tea, or Macha tea. Fasting blood glucose was taken upon their arrival. Once the tea or water and bagel with jam were consumed PPG concentrations were measured every 30 minutes until 120 minutes were reached. Results showed no statistically significant effects on PPG concentrations in either test groups (p=.960). However, this study did not measure EGCG levels in the tea provided. Therefore, further research should be done with known EGCG amounts to see its effects on PPG concentrations to fully rule out its potential. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2018

abstract: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is characterized by impaired vasodilation and the development of atherosclerosis.78 A diet high in saturated fat, such as palmitate, contributes to this by promoting inflammation and oxidative stress in human vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). 11,12,84,88 The inflammation cascade that occurs increases pro-inflammatory cytokines, like tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) and increases proinflammatory enzymes like cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) contributing to inflammation, oxidative stress, blood pressure shifts, and atherosclerosis.11,12,69,84 Palmitate has been found to upregulate TNF-alpha,85 and COX-2. 11,12, 84 In various studies, sumac, a Mediterranean spice and known antioxidant,39,7,66,67 has been shown to have antioxidant properties through its ability to inhibit reactive oxygen species (ROS) such as superoxide.39,7,66,67 Sumac has also been found to reduce TNF-alpha.100 Results from a study of hypertensive human subjects fed a sumac supplement showed a decrease in blood pressure.59 In the current study, COX-2 levels were determined to evaluate the level of inflammation in response to palmitate when primary aortic human vascular smooth muscle cells (HAoVSM) were treated with sumac. The treatments included: vehicle (bovine serum albumin), 100 µM palmitate, and 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 µg/mL sumac. Sumac did not alter COX-2 protein levels between vehicle and sumac groups. Additional studies were designed to examine whether 80 µg/mL sumac could reverse impaired vasodilation caused by 10 weeks of high fat intake, consisting of 60% of total calories from fat, in Sprague-Dawley rats. Mesenteric arteries were isolated and exposed to sumac. High fat diet (HFD) arteries had impaired vasodilation compared to arteries from chow-fed fats. HFD arteries exposed to sumac had similar endothelium-dependent vasodilation responses as those not exposed to sumac, however, there were trends for improved vasodilation. I suggest that sumac likely exhibits antioxidant capabilities that prevent superoxide from decreasing the bioavailability of nitric oxide in the vasculature, thus promoting endothelium-dependent vasodilation and preventing the creation of more harmful reactive oxygen species. Isolated arteries from chow fed rats developed irreversible vasodilation when exposed to sumac and were therefore not responsive to pre-constriction with phenylephrine (PE) likely related to nitrates and gallic acid naturally present in sumac whereby inhibiting PE. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Nutrition 2018

abstract: Obesity is currently a prevalent health concern in the United States. Essential to combating it are accurate methods of assessing individual dietary intake under ad libitum conditions. The acoustical monitoring system (AMS), consisting of a throat microphone and jaw strain sensor, has been proposed as a non-invasive method for tracking free-living eating events. This study assessed the accuracy of eating events tracked by the AMS, compared to the validated vending machine system used by the NIDDK in Phoenix. Application of AMS data toward estimation of mass and calories consumed was also considered. In this study, 10 participants wore the AMS in a clinical setting for 24 hours while all food intake was recorded by the vending machine. Results indicated a correlation of 0.76 between number of eating events by the AMS and the vending machine (p = 0.019). A dependent T-test yielded a p-value of 0.799, illustrating a lack of significant difference between these methods of tracking intake. Finally, number of seconds identified as eating by the AMS had a 0.91 correlation with mass of intake (p = 0.001) and a 0.70 correlation with calories of intake (p = 0.034). These results indicate that the AMS is a valid method of objectively recording eating events under ad libitum conditions. Additional research is required to validate this device under free-living conditions. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Nutrition 2013

abstract: ABSTRACT Deciding what to eat can be difficult. There are multiple different diets which are popular today, and all of them say different things about which foods optimize health, and which foods are destructive. The situation become more complicated when the suggestions are all purportedly based on relevant science, and all have had demonstrated positive impacts on overall wellbeing. Even when we do have good information, financial factors, geography, and time constraints can prevent us from acting on it. In an attempt to portray the difficulties involved in eating well, I start by analyzing what each of six diets - The Paleo Diet, The Perfect Health Diet, the vegetarian diet, the vegan diet, the Mediterranean Diet, and the Traditional Asian Diet - says about what we should be eating. I then explore what the science says about what we should be eating, and whether this science lines up with the diets, by discussing an extensive review of books and literature on nutrition. Lastly, in order to gain an understanding of factors which discourage us from eating well, I tracked my consumption habits for a week using My Fitness Tracker, and noted any reasons that I chose to eat or not eat certain foods. I supplemented this with a discussion of the shortcomings of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, and the types of factors that prevent people from acting on information. In conclusion, diets should be praised for attempting to align American eating habits with the best scientific information, but the vast amount of information and the difficulty involved in eating well may ultimately prevent people from doing so. / Dissertation/Thesis / M.S. Biology 2014

<p> <b>Purpose</b></p><p> The primary purpose of this research was to develop measures of diet quality and nutrition behavior to evaluate the effectiveness of the Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP). EFNEP is a United States Department of Agriculture nutrition education program that works with low-income families to improve their diet quality and food-related behaviors. The research objective was to develop a reliable and valid short dietary assessment instrument that can be used nationally by EFNEP to assess diet quality behavior change among low-income adults. Short dietary assessment instruments provide cost-effective ways to evaluate federally-funded nutrition education programs and the low-income adults they serve. However, few valid instruments exist for use nationally with low-income populations.</p><p> <b>Methods</b></p><p> This research was part of a multi-state, multi-year Agricultural Experiment Station research project, NC2169: EFNEP-Related Research, Program Evaluation and Outreach. Goals of the multi-state project included developing a new EFNEP national evaluation questionnaire that would include diet quality questions. </p><p> A mixed methods observational study design, including 8 phases, was used to develop and test the dietary assessment questions. Phases 1-5 pertain to question development, and phases 6-8 relate to question testing. The research phases are listed below. 1. <b>Nutrition education curricula content analysis. </b> The content analysis determined current nutrition information taught nationally to EFNEP participants. Curricula used by the majority of EFNEP state programs served as a proxy for nutrition content taught to EFNEP participants. A tested data recording instrument captured nutrition content in the curricula. 2. <b>Dietary Guidelines expert panel (expert panel #1).</b> A panel of 6 national nutrition experts identified and prioritized the nutrition recommendations from the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans deemed most critical to teach low-income adults. The study protocol used a modified Delphi Technique to build consensus among experts through structured feedback. 3. <b>EFNEP expert panel (expert panel #2).</b> Twenty-one EFNEP program administrators and other researchers from 15 states further prioritized the nutrition recommendations identified by the first expert panel to those most critical to evaluate in EFNEP. 4. <b>Literature review and question generation.</b> A literature review of published manuscripts and government and research organization websites identified validated questions that addressed the nutrition recommendations deemed critical to evaluate. Questions and response options were revised, eliminated or created to meet the needs of the EFNEP population and program. 5. <b>Content validity expert panel (expert panel #3).</b> Seven EFNEP program administrators from different US geographic regions reviewed the dietary assessment questions and response options to confirm content validity for use in a national EFNEP questionnaire. Questions and response options were revised as necessary. 6. <b>Cognitive interview testing.</b> Researchers conducted cognitive interviews with EFNEP participants (at program enrollment &ldquo;pre&rdquo; or at program completion &ldquo;post&rdquo;) in 7 states. An iterative process and scripted probing questions were used to determine ease of understanding and face validity. Interviewers in each state were trained via webinar. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and analyzed pre/post to identify themes and dominant trends. Questions and response options were revised as needed. 7. <b>Reliability testing.</b> The test-retest method assessed temporal stability reliability of the questions. A total of 217 low income EFNEP-eligible women from 7 states completed the dietary assessment instrument twice, at a 1-month interval. Paired t-tests (p &le; 0.05), Spearman&rsquo;s rank order correlation coefficients (SCC) and intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were used to assess reliability (r > 0.5). Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine whether the questions grouped together (factor loading cut-offs > 0.5). 8. <b>Construct validity testing.</b> A total of 60 EFNEP participants were recruited from 8 states to complete the dietary assessment instrument and 3, 24-hour food recalls pre/post the EFNEP intervention. Wilcoxon signed rank test (p &ge; 0.05), SCC (r > 0.5), and Bland-Altman plots were used to assess construct validity of the questions.</p><p> <b>Results</b></p><p> <b>Phases 1-5.</b> The curricula content analysis findings revealed considerable variability in both the frequency of certain nutrition content and depth of educational instruction provided across curricula used in EFNEP. The Dietary Guidelines expert panel determined 2 overarching and 8 specific nutrition messages critical to teach low income adults.</p><p> <i>Overarching recommendations</i> &bull; Focus on nutrient-dense foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grains, fat-free or low-fat milk and milk products, seafood and fish, lean meats, poultry, eggs, beans and peas, and nuts and seeds. &bull; Cook and eat more meals at home. The behaviors of portion control and how to prepare lower calorie options can be emphasized within teaching how to prepare meals at home.</p><p> <i>Specific recommendations</i> &bull; Increase vegetable and fruit intake. Eat a variety of vegetables. &bull; Consume at least half of all grains as whole grains. &bull; Increase intake of low-fat dairy or fortified soy products. &bull; Eat a variety of protein foods, including beans, legumes, nuts and seeds, eggs, seafood, and lean meats and poultry. &bull; Develop skills in reading the Nutrition Facts panel to identify portion size and calorie intake for packaged foods. &bull; Prepare, serve, and consume smaller portions of food and beverages. &bull; Reduce intake of foods such as chips and crackers and sweets such as cookies, cakes, pie, muffins, doughnuts, and pastries. &bull; Limit the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.</p><p> Using the Dietary Guidelines panel findings, the EFNEP expert panel prioritized 6 diet quality content areas to evaluate in EFNEP.</p><p> <i>Nutrition behaviors to evaluate in EFNEP</i> &bull; Cook and eat more meals at home. &bull; Increase fruit intake. &bull; Increase vegetable intake. &bull; Eat a wider variety of vegetables. &bull; Increase intake of dairy of fortified soy products. &bull; Limit the intake of sugar-sweetened beverages.</p><p> The literature review produced an average of 40 questions (range 19-71) per diet quality content area and 46 response scales. Questions were eliminated or revised to yield 22 questions with 1-2 response scales per question. Content validity expert panel feedback resulted in 20 revised questions for cognitive interview testing.</p><p> <b>Phases 6-8.</b> A total of 111 cognitive interviews in 3 rounds of interviews/question revisions were completed with EFNEP participants in 7 states. Cognitive interviews yielded a 14-item dietary assessment instrument covering the 6 nutrition content areas. Reliability testing results showed all questions had at the least moderate correlations (SCC > 0.40) and fair agreement (ICC > 0.41), with at least half the questions indicating strong (SCC > 0.60) and moderate (ICC > 0.61) correlations (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.001). The majority of questions (12/14) grouped together to align with the 6 nutrition content areas to evaluate in EFNEP (factor loadings >0.50).</p><p> For construct validity testing, data were collected from EFNEP participants in 8 states (n = 60 pre, 30 post). Food recall data were collected an average of 14 days after participants completed the instrument (range 6-32 days). Results demonstrated significant differences (Wilcoxon signed rank test p = &lt; 0.05) and low or no correlations both pre (SCC = 0.01 &ndash; 0.44) and post (SCC = 0.01 &ndash; 0.44) between the instrument and 24-hour food recall data. The Bland-Altman method was not pursued due to the lack of significant correlations. The researchers concluded that incompatible methods along with measurement error from multiple sources contributed to the lack of association between the instrument and 24-hour food recall data.</p><p> <b>Conclusions and Implications</b></p><p> This research resulted in nationally-tested reliable and valid dietary assessment instrument for low-income adults that can be used to evaluate EFNEP&rsquo;s effectiveness at improving diet quality among participants. The mixed-methods approach established temporal stability reliability and content, face, and factor validity of the dietary assessment instrument. Questions were developed to meet program objectives and tested with the target EFNEP population in multiple states, which confirmed their appropriateness for evaluating behavior change for this national nutrition education program. This research has implications that extend beyond EFNEP, as other nutrition education programs serving low-income adults may adopt the methods used to develop their own validated evaluation questionnaire. Nutrition education programs or interventions may also adopt the validated instrument to evaluate their programs.</p><p> Future research directions include testing the dietary assessment instrument questions for sensitivity to change and/or with a compatible comparison tool to establish construct or convergent validity. For example, a modified 7-day food record tailored to the needs of low-income participants and the behaviors captured in the instrument may be an appropriate comparison measure to assess convergent validity of the dietary assessment questions.</p><p>