Despite the known importance of body composition in relation to performance and health of athletes, this study appears to be the first, or one of very few, to evaluate body composition measures from the beginning to end of season for NCAA DI collegiate baseball players and assess their dietary intake. Baseball players from the 2015-2019 seasons were included in the study (n=78; age=19.8±1.28). DXA scans performed at the start and end of season were analyzed and 3-day food records analyzed via ESHA software were utilized to assess dietary intake. Groups were stratified to examine differences in players’ positions (Pitchers vs. Position Players) and first-year status effects (Freshman/Transfer vs. Sophomore/Junior/Seniors). Based on the study’s findings, body mass and lean body mass significantly decreased from the beginning to end of season for the overall team (p= 0.002; 0.026). Position Players exhibited a significant decline in body mass, region percent fat, and fat mass (p=0.00, 0.014, and 0.021, respectively) while Pitchers did not demonstrate any significant changes. First-year players experienced an increase in visceral adipose tissue volume and visceral adipose tissue mass (p= 0.004, 0.004) and Sophomore/Junior/Seniors group experienced a significant decrease in body mass, region % fat, and fat mass from the beginning to end of season (p=0.00, 0.017, and 0.023, respectively). The team on average consumed 6% less than the recommended value for protein, 36% less than recommendation for carbohydrate and 10% above the recommended intake amount was determined for fat. Overall, the team consumed 18% less than their estimated total calorie recommended goal. We believe the study presents interesting findings that may be helpful for collegiate baseball programs, and potentially athletes in similar sports, to improve the performance, development and health of young student athletes.

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Obesity is a public health concern and cardiometabolic consequences are severe when obesity develops during youth and continues into adulthood. Treatment prior to adulthood confers health benefits, but adolescent obesity rates have continually increased, reaching 20.6% in 2013-2014. Quality and quantity of dietary intake contribute to the development of obesity, but limitations of self-reported dietary intake are evident in overweight or obese adolescents, who frequently misreport nutrients of concern. Added sugar, sodium, and protein intake may indicate diet quality in this population. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines recommend decreasing consumption of added sugars, sodium, and processed protein due to their known contributions to overweight and obesity. Objective dietary intake assessment measures are necessary for investigating the association between dietary intake and health outcomes. Added sugar, sodium, and protein intake could be assessed objectively with a panel of urinary biomarkers. Prior research indicates the potential of these urinary biomarkers to reflect dietary intake, but to date, no controlled feeding study has been conducted in adolescents. Using a controlled feeding design, the current study aims to evaluate the validity of urinary sucrose, fructose, sodium, and nitrogen as objective indicators of dietary intake. It is hypothesized that urinary sucrose and fructose will reflect dietary added sugar intake, while urinary sodium and nitrogen will correspond to dietary sodium and protein intake, respectively, in a healthy adolescent population. These biomarkers, if valid, could be used in clinical and epidemiological research to improve understanding of the associations between dietary intake and health outcomes. / Master of Science

It is unknown if participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) influences the magnitude of improvement in dietary intake in response to dietary interventions. Adults with low socioeconomic status (SES) tend to have lower overall dietary quality as compared to those with higher SES. However, low SES adults are more likely to receive benefits from SNAP, which gives nutrition assistance to millions of eligible Americans. The objective of this investigation is to examine differences in dietary intake between 1) SNAP participants, 2) those eligible for SNAP but not receiving (nonparticipants), and 3) those ineligible for SNAP, in response to an intervention targeting a reduction in sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption. Adult participants (n=146) from Southwest Virginia were enrolled in a 6-month, community-based trial, SIPsmartER. Participants provided SNAP enrollment status and 3 24-hour dietary recalls at baseline and 6-months. Dietary variables (SSB, macronutrients, etc.) and dietary quality data (Healthy Eating Index [HEI-2010]) were derived from nutritional analysis software (NDS-R 2011). Statistical analyses included descriptives and repeated-measures ANOVA. Although SNAP participation and eligibility status did not impact the overall effectiveness of this dietary intervention, the within group data suggests that those eligible for SNAP but not participating (n=30) may be at a disadvantage to improving their dietary intake as compared to those at a similar household income who receive SNAP benefits (n=56) or ineligible individuals at a higher income level (n=60). Future research is needed to explore if participant's ability to maintain long-term adherence to the dietary changes differs between groups. / Master of Science

Background A well-balanced nutritious diet is important for the pregnant woman and the growing fetus, as well as for their future health. Poor nutrition results from both over-consumption of energy-rich foods which can lead to a higher weight gain than is healthy and under-nutrition of essential nutrients. Food intake is regulated in complex biological systems by many factors, where steroid hormone is one factor involved. The overall aim of this thesis is to describe dietary intake, vitamin D levels, dietary information and dietary changes, and to study the relation between allopregnanolone and weight gain during pregnancy and postpartum. Methods Study I was a qualitative study with focus group interviews with 23 pregnant women. The text was analysed with content analysis. Study II was a quantitative cross-sectional study conducted in early pregnancy (n=209) with a reference group (n=206). Self-reported dietary data from a questionnaire was analysed using descriptive comparative statistics and a cluster analysis model (Partial Least Squares modelling). Study III had a quantitative longitudinal design. Vitamin D concentrations were analysed in 184 women, collected on five occasions during pregnancy and postpartum. Descriptive comparative statistics and a linear mixed model were used. Study IV was a quantitative longitudinal study with 60 women. Concentrations of allopregnanolone were analysed in gestational week 12 and 35. Descriptive and comparative statistics as well as Spearman’s correlation (rho) were used to describe the relationship between weight gain and allopregnanolone concentrations.   Results The focus group interviews showed that women wanted to know more about different foods to reduce any risk for their child but the information about foods was partly up to themselves to find out. They expressedfeelingsof insecurityand guiltif they accidentallyate something“forbidden”. The recommendationswere followedas best as possiblealong withcommon sense todeal with dietchanges. The main themes were “Finding out by oneself”, “Getting professional advice when health problems occur”, “Being uncertain” and “Being responsible with a pinch of salt”. Some differences in the dietary patterns were found among the pregnant women compared to references, with less, vegetables (47 g/day), potatoes/rice/pasta (31 g/day), meat/fish (24 g/day) and intake of alcohol and tobacco/snuff but a higher intake of supplements. Bothpregnant women and referenceshad intakes offolatethrough diet45% (pregnant) and 22% (references) lower than current recommendations(500vs400g/day). Vitamin Dintake was34% lower than the recommendationsof 10mg/day. At least a third of the participants had insufficient plasma levels below 50 nmol/L of vitamin D. Season was a strong factor influencing the longitudinal pattern. Gestational week, season, total energy intake, dietary intake of vitamin D, and multivitamin supplementation over the previous 14 days were factors related to vitamin D levels. A correlation betweenallopregnanoloneconcentrations ingestationalweek 35and weight gainin weeks12–35was seen (p = 0.016). Therewas alsoa correlation betweenthe increase inallopregnanolone(weeks12–35) andweight gain(see above) (p = 0.028).   Conclusions Dietary recommendations were described as contradictory and confusing and the dietary advice felt inadequate. The women faced their diet changes and sought information on their own but would have wished for more extensive advice from the midwife. The intake of vitamins essential for pregnancy was lower than recommended, which is also confirmed by low plasma levels of vitamin D in at least one third of the pregnant women. Vitamin D levels peaked in late pregnancy. Aside from gestational week and season which were related to plasma levels, intake from foods and supplements also affected the levels. Reasons for weight gain are complex and depend on many factors. Allopregnanolone is a factor that was seen to relate to the weight gain of the studied pregnant women. / Bakgrund En välbalanserad näringsrik kost är viktig för den gravida kvinnan och det växande fostret, så även för deras framtida hälsa. En bristfällig kost kan utgöras av både överförbrukning av energirika livsmedel vilket kan leda till högre viktuppgång än vad som är hälsosamt och bristande intag av viktiga näringsämnen. Kostintag regleras av komplexa biologiska system där flera faktorer är inblandade däribland steroidhormonet allopregnanolon. Det övergripande syftet med denna avhandling är att under och efter graviditet beskriva kostintag, vitamin D-nivåer, kostinformation och kostförändringar och att studera allopregnanolons relation till viktökning. Metod Studie I var en kvalitativ studie med fokusgruppsintervjuer med 23 gravida kvinnor. Texten analyserades med innehållsanalys. Studie II var en kvantitativ tvärsnittsstudie som genomfördes i tidig graviditet (n = 209) och med en grupp icke-gravida kvinnor (kontrollgrupp) (n=206). Självrapporterade kostdata från ett frågeformulär analyserades med beskrivande, jämförande statistik och en klusteranalysmodell (Partial Least Squares modellering). Studie III hade en kvantitativ longitudinell design. Vitamin D-koncentrationer analyserades hos 184 kvinnor, vid fem tillfällen under graviditeten och efter förlossningen. Beskrivande, jämförande statistik och en linjär mixad regressionsmodell användes. Studie IV var en kvantitativ longitudinell studie med 60 kvinnor. Koncentrationerna av allopregnanolon analyserades vid graviditetsvecka 12 och 35. Beskrivande och jämförande statistik samt Spearman’s korrelation användes för att beskriva samband mellan viktökning och koncentrationer av allopregnanolon. Resultat Intervjuerna i studie I visade att kvinnor ville veta mer om olika typer av mat för att minska en eventuell risk för sina barn men kostinformation var delvis upp till dem själva att ta reda på. De VIII uttryckte känslor av osäkerhet och skuld om de råkat äta något ”förbjudet”. Rekommendationerna följdes så väl som möjligt, tillsammans med sunt förnuft för att hantera kostförändringar. Huvudteman var ”Söka information på egen hand”, ”Få professionell rådgivning när problem uppstår”, ”Känna sig osäker” och ”Ta ansvar med en nypa salt”. I studie II kunde man se vissa skillnader i kostmönster bland de gravida kvinnorna jämfört med kontrollgruppen: mindre intag av grönsaker (47 g/dag), potatis/ris/pasta (31 g/dag), kött/fisk (24 g/dag) och alkohol och tobak/snus och ett högre intag av kosttillskott. Både gravida kvinnor och kontrollgruppen hade lägre intag av folsyra via kosten med 45 % (gravida) och 22 % (kontrollgruppen) än de gällande rekommendationer som är (500 resp 400 g/dag). I studie III såg man att inta et av vitamin D var 34 % lägre än rekommendationen på 10 µg/dag. Minst en tredjedel av deltagarna hade otillräckliga plasma nivåer av vitamin D, under 50 nmol/L. Årstid var en stark faktor som påverkar det longitudinella mönstret. Graviditetsvecka, säsong, totala energiintaget, intaget av vitamin D och multivitamintillskott under de senaste 14 dagarna var faktorer som relaterade till Dvitaminnivåer. I studie IV sågs ett samband mellan allopregnanolon-koncentrationer vid graviditetsvecka 35 och viktökning från vecka 12 till 35 (p = 0,016). Det sågs också ett samband mellan ökningen av allopregnanolon (vecka 12–35) och viktökningen (se ovan) (p = 0,028). Slutsatser Kostrekommendationer beskrevs som motsägelsefulla och förvirrande och kostråden de fick uppfattades som otillräckliga. Kvinnorna tog itu med sina kostförändringar och sökte information på egen hand men hade önskat mer omfattande råd från barnmorskan. Intaget av vitaminer viktiga för graviditeten var lägre än rekommendationerna, vilket också bekräftas av låga plasmanivåer av D-vitamin hos cirka en tredjedel av de gravida kvinnorna. D-vitaminnivåerna nådde en topp i slutet av graviditeten. Graviditetsvecka och säsong på året påverkade D vitaminnivåer, så även intag via mat och kosttillskott. Orsakertill viktökning är komplexa och beror på många faktorer. Allopregnanolon är en faktor som sågs relatera till viktökningen hos de undersökta gravida kvinnorna.

During adolescence, the nutritional needs are higher than at any other time in the lifecycle. Childhood food practices persist into late adolescence and children's food preferences predict their food consumption patterns. Therefore, it is important to understand what influences their preferences and how they change over time. The main objective of this part of the THUSA BANA study was to investigate the eating habits of children aged 10-15 years in the North West Province (NWP). A cross-sectional design was used to investigate the eating habits of the children. A single, random sample, stratified for gender (male/female) and ethnic group (black, white, coloured, Indian) was drawn from schools (primary/secondary) in the five regions in the NWP. Dietary intake data (24-h recall method) were used to evaluate the adequacy of nutrient intakes, while frequencies and mean quantities of food intakes and an eating habits questionnaire were used to establish patterns of intake to identify dietary practices. Overall the diets of children 10-15 years of age were deficient in various micronutrients. The RD/Al's were not met for vitamin A, C, E, folate, pantothenic acid, biotin, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper. The intake of fibre was low. Girls skipped breakfast more often than boys and children from informal settlements skipped breakfast more often than children from rural and urban areas. A significantly lower BMI was found for the children having breakfast when observing all the children, but not for different age and gender groups. The reason given most for skipping breakfast was not being hungry in the morning, but food availability which may have also played a role. The skipping of breakfast was associated with a lower diet quality. A low intake of fruit and vegetables and high intake of snacks were apparent. The intake of snacks, such as chips, cheese curls and sweets were reported more frequently than fruit or vegetables. Small milk portions and large portions of cold drink were reported, suggesting that cold drink is replacing milk in the diet. Overweight children consumed smaller portions of milk, though no correlation between calcium intake and BMI was found. Overweight boys consumed more carbonated cold drink and overweight girls consumed more squash, showing cold drink intake may be positively related to overweight. The snacks consumed were not nutrient dense and were consumed very regularly. The high intake of snacks may contribute to the low micronutrient and fibre intake. The importance of fruit, vegetables, milk, breakfast and high nutrient dense snacks needs to be emphasized with both the children and their parents. / Thesis (M.Sc. (Dietetics))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Childhood cancer is a life-threatening disease with a profound impact on the family. Treatment side-effects and accompanied dietary difficulties are for example severe stressors, as appropriate nutrition is important for the treatment success and quality of life. In addition, (unhealthy) dietary patterns established in childhood tend to maintain in survivors. Parents are key players in feeding and establishing these pat-terns, though, systematic research on how parents experience these dietary difficulties is limited. This study aimed at exploring parental experiences of children’s dietary changes and difficulties during cancer treatment and after completion: what feelings do parents experience regarding their child’s dietary changes and difficulties, what feeding strategies to they apply to handle these difficulties, and how did they experience professional support and what are parental support needs. A systematic literature review was conducted and resulted in 21 suitable articles. The children were 0-21 years old, had various types of cancer, and received various types of therapy. Findings showed that parents reported many dietary changes (e.g. increase or decrease in food intake) and associated symptoms (e.g. nausea, changed tastes) during and after the cancer treatment course. Parents reported mainly negative feelings towards these dietary difficulties (e.g. distress and anxiety) and applied a wide range of behavioural feeding strategies, both negative (e.g. pressure to eat) and positive (e.g. provide healthy food) strategies. Parents also used complementary and alternative medicine. A high need for informational support regarding eating and feeding was expressed by parents during treatment, a need for emotional and practical support to a lower extent. These results showed how frequent and profound eating and feeding difficulties are in the childhood cancer and survivor population, and their (negative) impact on parents. Parents consequently need more support: they need oral and written information to set realistic expectations and install appropriate feeding strategies. This is important for the child’s nutritional status and general health both during and after cancer.

<p>Kreirana je specijalizovana baza podataka o sadržaju vitamina D koja sadrži 981 analitički podatak prikupljen iz evropskih baza podataka, od čega je 658 (67%) izraženo u formi ukupnog vitamina D. Podaci o svim vitamerima pronađeni su za meso, obogaćene namirnice/formulacije i za ribu, dok su podaci o D3 pronađeni za ribu, meso i mlečne proizvode. Podaci o sadržaju vitamina D, iz srpske baze podataka o sastavu namirnica (BPSN), ažurirani su za ukupno 541 namirnicu, jelo i dijetetski suplement.<br />Da bi se upotpunio kvalitet podataka o vitaminu D u srpskoj BPSN, određen je sadržaj vitamina D u svežim konzumnim koko&scaron;ijim jajima proizvedenim na teritoriji Srbije. Analizirana su jaja iz intenzivne proizvodnje i iz malih domaćinstava. Analize su izvedene u laboratoriji Danskog Tehničkog Univerziteta (DTU) standardizovanom HPLC metodom. Sadržaj vitamina D u jajima iz intenzivne proizvodnje iznosio je 5,78 &mu;g/100g, a u jajima iz slobodnog uzgoja 2,99 &mu;g/100 g. Izračunati prosečni sadržaj vitamina D u svežim jajima iznosio je 4,39 &mu;g/100 g te je ovaj podatak unet u srpsku BPSN.<br />Uobičajeni unos vitamina D analiziran je programom SPADE u populaciji koju su činili ispitanici iz četiri regiona Srbije, ukupno 605 odraslih, od toga 54% žena. Ustanovljeno je da uobičajeni prosečni unos vitamina D iznosi 4&plusmn;1,4 &mu;g/dan, kod mu&scaron;karaca 4,3&plusmn;1,5 &mu;g/dan, a kod žena 3,7&plusmn;1,2 &mu;g/dan, &scaron;to je znatno niže od preporučenih vrednosti od 10 &mu;g/dan za procenjene prosečne potrebe (Estimated Average Requirement-EAR) i 15 &mu;g/dan za adekvatni unos (Adequate Intake &ndash;AI). Čak 95% srpske populacije ne dostiže EAR vrednosti.<br />Analiza ishrane srpske populacije pokazala je da su glavni nutritivni izvori vitamina D jaja, riba, meso i mlečni proizvodi. Konzumacija obogaćenih namirnica vitaminom D (obogaćenih i biljnih mleka, kakao praha, obogaćenih sokova, margarina i instant žitarica) identifikovana je kod trideset petoro ispitanika. Prateći kriterijume za odabir adekvatnih namirnica za obogaćivanje, a za potrebe dizajniranja prediktivnog modela, odabrano je 70 namirnica koje su sortirane u sedam karakterističnih grupa: beli hleb, mleko, jogurt, sir, pavlaka, jaja i paradajz pire.<br />Prediktivni model obogaćivanja namirnica baziran je na matematičkoj formuli kojom se izračunava količina vitamina D (fc) koju treba dodati određenoj namirnici, odnosno grupi namirnica. Izračunata količina zavisi od tri faktora:<br />- prosečne konzumacije date namirnice, ili grupe, u gramima na n-tom percentilu populacije,<br />- njenog (njihovog) procentualnog udela u dnevnom energetskom unosu,<br />- unosa vitamina D (u &mu;g/dan) na n-tom percentilu.<br />Odabrano je sedam scenarija koji su simulirani da bi se validirala efektivnost &bdquo;dodavanja&ldquo; vitamina D radi dostizanja preporučenih nutritivnih vrednosti. U optimalnom scenariju, AI je dostignut na 65. percentilu populacije, a unos vitamina D na 95. percentilu populacije bio je ispod 25 &mu;g/dan. U maksimalnom scenariju, 50% populacije bilo je između AI i gornjeg tolerisanog nivoa nutritivnog unosa (Upper Tolerable Intake Level-UL), pri čemu niko nije dostigao UL vrednosti. Na ovaj način definisane su optimalne i maksimalne količine vitamina D koje se mogu dodati odabranim namirnicama da bi se zadovoljile potrebe, odnosno korigovao unos vitamina D kod srpske populacije.</p> / <p>A specialized database on the content of vitamin D was created with 981 analytical data on vitamin D content obtained from European databases, of which 658 (67%) were expressed as total vitamin D. The data (for all vitamins) were mainly found for meat, enriched foods/formulations and fish, while D3 data was identified for fish, meat and dairy products. Updating data on vitamin D content in Serbian food composition database (FCDB) was done in 541 foods, dishes and dietary supplements. To enhance the quality of data in Serbian FCDB, content of vitamin D in fresh eggs from the farm and domestic production on the territory of Serbia has been determined. Analysis was performed in Danish Technical University-DTU, Denmark, using standardized HPLC method. Eggs from the farm contained 5.78 &mu;g vitamin D/100 g, while domestic eggs were 2.99 &mu;g vitamin D/100 g, and the average vitamin D content in fresh eggs - 4.39 &mu;g/100 g which value was inserted into Serbian FCDB. The usual dietary intake of vitamin D was analyzed using the SPADE program in the survey covering 605 adult respondents from four regions of Serbia, of which 54% were women. The average intake of vitamin D was found to be 4&plusmn;1.4&mu;g/day, which is 4.3&plusmn;1.5 &mu;g/day for men and 3.7&plusmn;1.2 &mu;g/day for women, and is significantly lower than the recommended Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) values (10 &mu;g/day) and Adequate Intake (AI) values (15 &mu;g/day). As many as 95% of Serbian population are not reaching the EAR values. Nutritional analysis of Serbian diet has shown that the main sources of vitamin D are eggs, fish, meat and dairy products. Consumption of vitamin D-fortified foods (fortified and plant milk, cocoa powder, fortified juices, margarine, and instant cereals) was identified in 35 subjects. Following the criteria for selecting adequate foods for fortification, for the needs of designing the model, 70 foods were selected that were sorted into 7 characteristic food groups: white bread, milk, yoghurt, cheese, sour cream, eggs and tomato puree.<br />The prediction model of food fortification is based on a mathematical formula that calculates the amount of vitamin D (fc) to be added to a particular food group in accordance with:<br />- the amount of consumption of that food vector and<br />- the percentage factor in the total energy intake of the considered foods (food vectors) in the observed population,<br />- the intake of vitamin D on n-th percentile.<br />Seven scenarios were simulated to validate the effect of addition of vitamin D toward reaching the given reference values. In the optimal scenario, AI was reached at the 65th percentile of the population, and vitamin D intake at 95th percentile was below 25 &mu;g/day. In the maximum scenario, 50% of the population was between AI and Upper Tolerable Intake Level (UL), while none has reached UL values. This defines the ranges of optimal and maximum values of vitamin D that, by being added to the chosen food-vectors, can help in reaching vitamin D requirements of Serbian population.</p>