Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Koushik Adhikari / Obesity in adolescence is associated with a complex web of ecological, psychosocial, and physiological factors, and many of these factors relate to nutrition and physical activity behaviors. Before interventions are developed, researchers need to know what factors specifically influence an adolescent’s food choices and physical activity within the community context. Cultural norms, school environment, and neighborhood attributes are examples of factors that may vary across different communities, and accounting for this variation can be quite challenging, unless community perspectives are acknowledged. The use of qualitative data from focus groups has shown to be an effective way of gathering community perspectives about the diversity of their views and experiences. The current study used focus groups to reveal facilitators and barriers to healthy eating behavior and physical activity engagement in 6th to 8th grade youth in a low-income community in South-Western Kansas. This methodology enabled community members (adolescents, parents, and teachers) to discuss and articulate their perceptions in relation to 6th to 8th grade youth’s eating habits and physical activity, and assessed available resources, needs, and opportunities for developing effective and sustainable intervention approaches in the community. Using the socio-ecological model, individual influences (e.g., taste preferences), social influences (e.g., parent and peer influences), and larger contextual influences (e.g., school) on early adolescent health were assessed. This information will be used to develop interventions addressing factors at these different levels of influence that are needed to improve eating habits and physical activity of youth in the community.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Brian Lindshield / Fortified blended foods (FBF) are used for the prevention and treatment of moderate acute malnutrition (MAM) in nutritionally vulnerable individuals, particularly children. A recent review of current FBF recommended the addition of animal source food (ASF), in the form of whey protein concentrate (WPC), to FBF, especially corn soy blend. The justifications for this recommendation include the potential of ASF to increase length, weight, muscle mass accretion, and recovery from wasting, as well as improve the product protein quality and provide essential growth factors. Evidence was collected from the following four different types of studies: 1) epidemiological, 2) ASF versus no intervention or a low-calorie control, 3) ASF versus an isocaloric non-ASF, and 4) ASF versus an isocaloric, isonitrogenous non-ASF. Epidemiological studies consistently associated improved growth outcomes with ASF consumption; however, little evidence from isocaloric and isocaloric, isonitrogenous interventions was found to support the inclusion of meat or milk in FBF. Evidence suggests that whey may benefit muscle mass accretion, but not linear growth. Overall, there is little evidence to support the costly addition of WPC to FBFs. Further randomized isocaloric, isonitrogenous ASF interventions with nutritionally vulnerable children are needed.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Tandalayo Kidd / Weiqun Wang / The number of overweight and obese college students in the United States has remained high, which could be related to the comfort food and beverages consumed. Sugar-sweetened beverages and fried potatoes are beverages and comfort food commonly consumed by college students. Furthermore, people’s behavior is affected by their perceptions and goals. Thus, this study aimed to assess the correlations between the perception, goal of body weight, and sugar-sweetened beverages and fried potatoes consumption behaviours of college students. A cross-sectional survey of 371 college students was conducted via a self-reporting questionnaire that included information related to sugar-sweetened beverages and fried potato consumption behavior in the past month. The involved students also described their body weight perception and future goal. Spearman correlation and Chi-square analyses were performed to examine the associations. There were significant associations (p<0.0001) between perception of body weight and goal of body weight, regular soda consumption and other sweetened beverage consumption, regular soda consumption and fried potato consumption, and other sweetened beverage consumption and fried potatoes consumption. In addition, there were significant correlations between goals of body weight and other sweetened beverage consumption (p=0.0370). These findings confirmed that perception of body weight was associated with goal of body weight and provided a significant importance for educational intervention to students on improving awareness of healthy body weight and eating.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Edgar Chambers IV / Because healthy food products do not have a specific tool used for consumer screening based on consumers’ diet or degree of healthy eating habits, this study aimed to determine a set of questions that could classify consumers who belong in a different status according to the Stages of Change model, including those who have a different diet quality based on their Healthy Eating Index (HEI) score. The surveys were conducted in the United States (US) and Thailand in order to determine applicability to varying countries. The Food Neophobia Scale (FNS), Food Involvement Scale (FIS), and Health and Taste Attitude Scale (HTAS) were included in the questionnaire together with a set of Stages of Change questions and a 7-day, self-administered food recall questionnaire. The HEI interpretation of US and Thai consumer scores illustrated that the majority of both belonged to the Need Improvement group. The Stages of Change model indicated most consumers thought they had healthy diets. According to FNS, FIS, and HTAS, US consumers are more involved in food activities and are more open to trying new foods or unfamiliar foods than Thais. Furthermore, consumers who belong in different groups, according to the Stages of Change model, responded differently to some HTAS subscales. However, statements from FNS, FIS, and HTAS were not capable of distinguishing consumers belonging in different groups according to HEI scores or belonging in different stages according to the Stages of Change Model. Considering all possible methods from those listed above for screening consumers, the Stages of Change model may be the best way to segment consumers interested in healthier eating. Using the Stages of Change required less time and the least effort from consumers because there were only three questions; and interpreting results does not require calculation or analysis.

Master of Science / School of Journalism and Mass Communications / Nancy Muturi / This study was an examination of the determinants of disordered eating development among female collegiate distance runners. More specifically, the study examined the impact of thinness-emphasizing and thinness-promoting messages disseminated by mass media and running-specific media, and how those messages affected disordered eating among a sample of female collegiate distance runners. It also examines current female collegiate distance runners’ attitudes toward disordered eating, subjective norms from referent individuals close to female collegiate distance runners regarding disordered eating, and female collegiate distance runners’ perceived behavioral control regarding disordered eating—which was divided into various internal and external control factors either inhibiting or facilitating disordered eating among them. The study was qualitative in nature and assumed a multi-method approach. It included an online, anonymous, self-administered questionnaire among 166 current NCAA Division I female distance runners; four small, confidential focus groups with current NCAA Division I female distance runners from four different teams; and 16 in-depth interviews with professional distance runners, dietitians, coaches, physicians, and sports psychologists. The study sought to answer four research questions—each based on an element of the study’s guiding theory, the theory of planned behavior (Ajzen, 1991). Overall, the study found media messages, attitudes, subjective norms, and various internal and external control factors all facilitated disordered eating among NCAA Division I female distance runners. Based upon these findings, the study offers recommendations for practitioners in the field of health communication, coaches, academic institutions with cross country and track teams, and female collegiate distance runners.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute - Animal Sciences and Industry / J. Scott Smith / The popularity of convenience foods and consumer awareness have indirectly increased the demand for novel and naturally occurring compounds that can delay oxidative deterioration and maintain nutritional quality of foods. Natural antioxidants from certain herbs and spices such as rosmarinic acid from rosemary, thymol from oregano, eugenol from clove, curcumin from turmeric are rich in polyphenolic compounds that provide long term oxidative stability as well as offer additional health benefits. High antioxidative capacity of herbs and spices phenolics could potentially substitute synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), propyl gallate (PG), octyl gallate, and tert-butylated hydroquinone (TBHQ) in the food system. Synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) are thermally unstable and decompose at higher temperatures. However, widely used cooking methods such as baking, frying, boiling, and roasting use high thermal temperature that can chemically degrade herbs and spices and diminish their antioxidative capacity, but they have been little studied. In this context, this review deals with the need of natural antioxidants, spices and herbs as natural antioxidants, their origin, chemical composition, pharmacological, and antioxidant properties. Moreover, the impact of temperature on total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of various herbs and spices such as cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, mace, oregano, rosemary, sage, and turmeric is highlighted. Different antioxidant assays are also studied and this approach revealed that there is a clear correlation between total phenolic content (TPC) and TAC of herbs and spices and specific phenolic compounds are responsible for the antioxidative capacity of particular herb and spice. These findings identified the optimum cooking temperature-time combination which results in the highest retention of antioxidative capacity and assures higher quality of food for the maintenance of human health.

Doctor of Philosophy / Department of Human Nutrition / Brian L. Lindshield / The growth-inhibitory effect of saw palmetto supplements (SPS) with high long-chain fatty acids (FA)-low phytosterols (HLLP), high long-chain FA-high phytosterols (HLHP), and high medium-chain FA-low phytosterols (HMLP) was determined using androgen-sensitive LNCaP prostate cancer (PCa) cells and Syrian hamster flank organs. In vitro, all three SPS at high concentrations significantly decreased dihydrotestosterone-stimulated LNCaP cell number. HMLP and HLLP at high concentrations significantly decreased, but HLHP which significantly increased testosterone-stimulated LNCaP cell number. In Syrian hamsters, all three SPS treatments caused notable, but nonsignificant reduction in the difference between the left and right flank organ growth in the testosterone-, but not dihydrotestosterone-treated SPS groups. Results suggest SPS might be a mild 5-alpha-reductase (5-alpha-R) inhibitor. The pharmaceuticals finasteride inhibits 5-alpha-R2, and dutasteride inhibits 5-alpha-R1 and 5-alpha-R2 isoenzymes. Because finasteride inhibits only 5-alpha-R2, we hypothesized that it would not be as efficacious in preventing PCa development and/or progression in TRAMP mice as dutasteride. Six-week-old C57BL/6 TRAMP x FVB male mice were randomized to control, pre- and post- finasteride and dutasteride diet groups that began at 6 and 12 weeks of age, respectively, and terminated at 20 weeks of age. Pre and post groups received drugs before and after mice were expected to develop PCa, respectively. Post-Dutasteride treatment was significantly more effective than Pre-Dutasteride; and dutasteride treatments significantly more effective than finasteride treatments in decreasing prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia progression and PCa development. The finasteride groups and the Pre-Dutasteride group had significantly increased incidence of poorly differentiated PCa versus control. Androgen receptor and Ki-67 protein, DNA fragmentation from apoptosis, 5-alpha-R1 and 5-alpha-R2 mRNA levels were determined in mice with genitourinary weight less than 1 gram and greater than 1 gram to elucidate the discordant response in Pre-Dutasteride and finasteride groups, and Post-Dutasteride’s efficacy. Results suggest the difference in genitourinary weights is influenced more by proliferation, rather than androgen receptor and apoptosis in tumor. Mice age may not be significantly important in regulating proliferation, androgen receptor and apoptosis to promote tumor growth. In conclusion, the results with 5-alpha-reductase inhibitors may support the therapeutic use of dutasteride, but not finasteride, or saw palmetto supplements.

Master of Public Health / Department of Human Nutrition / Mary L. Higgins / Nutrition education programs strive to help low-income people make optimal food choices while living on a limited budget. This study addressed perceived understanding, acceptance, and usability of Food and Nutrition Bytes, a set of 12 eight- to eleven-minute online Expanded Food and Nutrition Education Program (EFNEP) lessons. Clients in EFNEP during 2005-2006 were surveyed on internet usage and interest in online nutrition lessons. Lessons were developed and assessed for reading levels using two formulas. Clients and professionals in six Kansas counties completed a Likert scale survey and gave comments after they viewed one online lesson. Fifty-five percent of 75 EFNEP clients who had internet access indicated they were interested in taking nutrition lessons online. The new lessons averaged a 6.64 grade reading level. Two lessons had content that was rated too general to be useful. For the remaining lessons, both groups ranked their perceived understanding, helpfulness of graphics and audio, and usefulness of information at the first or second most-desirable rating. They rated length and amount of information as “Just Right.” The only difference found between the groups was when clients rated one lesson as having a little too much information and professionals rated it as having not quite enough (Mann-Whitney U = 35.0, p = 0.039). Within-sample associations were measured for two lessons. Clients older than 30 years of age found the Grains lesson’s pictures and graphics to be more helpful than did younger clients (Kendall tau-b = 0.593, p = 0.002). White clients evaluated the Cooking lesson as being easier to understand than did non-white clients (Kendall tau-b = -0.477, p = 0.020). The most frequent comments pertained to the importance of portion sizes and appropriate pictures and graphics. Overall, Food and Nutrition Bytes lessons were easy to read, and perceived by both clients and professionals to be easy to understand, helpful and useful, and also optimal in length and amount of information. Despite low numbers of EFNEP clients who had internet access, over half were interested in taking lessons online. Limitations of this study include small samples, convenience samples, subjects’ time constraints, and interviewer bias.

Master of Science / Food Science Institute / Delores H. Chambers / The challenge with reduced sodium foods is finding a suitable sodium replacement that delivers a salty flavor without extraneous off flavors. Potassium chloride (KCl), a commonly used salt replacer, when used in conjunction with sodium chloride, can be perceived as salty; however to some people, KCl tastes bitter or metallic. The hypothesis for this research was the belief that a majority of people do not describe the flavors associated with KCl as bitter, metallic, or other possible negative terms. The objectives were 1) To determine the impact of KCl addition on the saltiness, bitterness, and other sensory characteristics in model soup systems using a trained descriptive analysis panel and 2) To determine what words are most frequently chosen by consumers to describe flavors associated with KCl. There were two studies conducted; 1) The first study examined the basic taste intensities in samples with varying levels (19%-41%) of total sodium ions and samples with a set total sodium ion level (19%) and varying levels of KCl (0%-0.75%) in model soup systems in order to understand the potential interaction of KCl on the perceived saltiness of NaCl. The degree to which KCl can be used in reducing total sodium ion levels without adversely affecting the basic taste sensory properties was also examined. Panelists evaluated the samples using the Sensory Spectrum® method. Salt, sour, bitter, umami, and metallic attributes were rated for chicken broth. Salt, sweet, sour, and bitter attributes were rated for tomato soup. 2) The second study examined the consumer language used to describe the flavors associated with KCl when used in a reduced sodium model soup system. Focus group participants generated the initial list of flavor descriptors for high (0.75%) KCl levels in chicken broth. A larger consumer study was conducted with subjects pre-screened for sensitivity to KCl Consumers were given reduced sodium chicken broth or tomato soup without KCl and another sample with 0.45% KCl, labelled Flavor A. Subjects then chose all of the descriptors from a pre-selected list that describe Flavor A, the flavors associated with KCl. Comparisons in language descriptor selection were made among ethnic groups (African American, Hispanic, Caucasian, and Asian), gender, and age groups. As an example, among ethnic groups, for chicken broth, Hispanics chose the salty descriptor less frequently than the other ethnic groups, whereas Asians chose the salty descriptor more frequently than the other ethnic groups. The trained descriptive analysis panel did not find an increase in bitterness perception as KCl levels increased. Consumers frequently selected characterizing flavor terms to describe flavors associated with KCl and rarely selected bitterness, metallic or other potentially negative terms to describe KCl flavor. The significance of these findings is that there may be a higher potential for sodium reduction in the food industry using KCl as a sodium ion replacer.

Master of Public Health / Department of Human Nutrition / Mark Haub / Background: Time spent in sedentary behaviors, independent of physical activity levels, is a risk factor for chronic diseases and all-cause mortality. It is unknown whether physically active adults alter their dietary and/or physical activity behaviors in response to imposed sedentary time. The aim of this study was to determine whether imposing 10 hours of sedentary time per week for 8 weeks would alter physical activity and/or dietary profiles of physically active adults. Methods: Sixteen physically active, healthy young adults were randomized into either the no-intervention control (CON) group (n=8) or the sedentary-intervention (SIT) group (n=8). SIT participants attended monitored sedentary sessions for 10 hours per week (4 days; 2.5 hours) for 8 weeks. Assessments occurred at baseline, and weeks 4 and 8. Dietary information was collected through 3-day food records and physical activity was assessed through 7 days of accelerometry (Actical at the wrist). Results: There were no differences in physical activity profiles in SIT or CON groups when baseline and week-8 average (average weeks) were compared to the week-4 assessment. Differences in step counts comparing the average weeks and week 4 were not significantly different between CON and SIT groups (CON = 615.1 ± 3019.1, SIT= -1158.0 ± 3373.0 steps, p=0.287). There were no differences in sedentary (p=0.366), light (p=0.293), moderate (p=0.656) or vigorous (p=0.701) physical activity when average weeks were compared to one of imposed sedentary behavior. A greater number of SIT (4/8) participants had lower step counts during the imposed sedentary week, when compared to CON (1/8) participants. There was no difference (p>0.05) between CON and SIT groups for total calories consumed at any time-point. Caloric intake decreased significantly in the SIT group compared to the CON group (SIT = -27.9 ± 22.8%, CON = 10.0 ± 37.6%, p=0.028). More SIT (7/8) than CON (3/8) participants decreased caloric intake from baseline to 8 weeks (p>0.05). Conclusion: Physically active young adults did not alter physical activity profiles, but did decrease their caloric intake, in response to 8 weeks of imposed sedentary time. These findings may indicate a compensatory mechanism to imposed sitting in physically active adults.