The effect of consumption of unprocessed and processed oat bran on calcium, magnesium, zinc, and copper intake, excretion and apparent retention in 19 adult males was determined using a metabolic balance study. The study was divided into preliminary, controlled feeding and follow-up periods of 4 weeks each. The controlled feeding period was subdivided into two 8 day balance periods. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of three treatments: a basal diet low in dietary fiber; basal diet supplemented with 100 g of unprocessed oat bran; or basal diet supplemented with 100 g of processed oat bran ready-to-eat (RTE) cereal. With both oat bran treatments intakes of calcium, magnesium, and copper were increased above the current RDA, while zinc was increased, but still remained below the RDA. Urinary excretions of calcium, magnesium, and zinc were unchanged during the balance periods. Both of the bran supplemented groups were excreting significantly more fecal magnesium and zinc than the control group. Increased fecal calcium and copper excretions were seen for the processed (RTE) group over the other two treatments. Apparent retention of calcium, zinc, and copper appear to be unaffected by oat bran supplementation. Apparent magnesium retention for the control group was significantly less than the unprocessed group during balance Period 1 only. During the controlled feeding period, the unprocessed group had significantly less plasma calcium and zinc than the other two treatments. Plasma magnesium was unchanged in the fiber supplemented groups during the controlled feeding period. / Master of Science

This retrospective study was undertaken to determine the effect of nutritional counseling and assessment of underweight pregnant women enrolled in NIP program of the Virginia State Health Department on pregnancy outcomes, including biological, social and nutritional risk variables. A total sample of 2228 prenatal women enrolled in the program from 1988-1991 were subjects for this study. A NIP program tracking form was used to obtain all the information pertinent to this research. About half of the underweight women as measured by percent expected weight remained underweight at their last visit and only 44% of the underweight pregnant women had normal expected weight at their last visit. Women of the other ethnic group had the highest change in protein intake during their pregnancy indicating that these women showed remarkable improvement in their dietary intake. The incidence of low birth weight in this subject population was greater when compared with the state vital statistics. Black women appeared to be more vulnerable than white women or women of other ethnic group. No significant difference was seen in the incidence of preterm and low birth weight infants born to underweight women who remained underweight at their last visit and those who had improvement in their percent expected weight. Longer NIP participation was not positively correlated with pregnancy outcomes. But positive correlations with number of nutritional visits and when the prenatal care began, it is possible that nutrition intervention by the NIP nutritionists may have reduced the incidence of unfavorable pregnancy outcomes. / Master of Science

Height, skinfold, and circumference measurements were obtained from 29 normal weight and 17 overweight (>110% of desirable weight for height) healthy pregnant women every four weeks during their second trimester of pregnancy. The mean weight gain and food intake values were not significantly different for both groups. Measurements increased at a greater rate for the normal weight gravidas than for the overweight gravidas in almost every case. For both groups, increases in fat stores were greater in the central sites than in the peripheral sites. No clear relationship between age, prepregnant weight, and weight gain during the second trimester with the birthweight of the baby was found. The infant birthweights of both groups were at an optimal level ( >2500 grams) except for one (born to the mother 151% of her desirable weight for height). The similarity in results for the two groups is greatly due to there not being a large enough difference in prepregnant weights between the two groups. Nevertheless, the results do lend support to a 20 to 30 pound weight gain for an optimal outcome of pregnancy for healthy pregnant women with a wide range of prepregnancy weights. Those women 150% or more of their desirable weight for height may need to gain on the lower end of the spectrum due to their excess endogenous reserves and to possible harm to the fetus with large gains. / Master of Science

The nutrition education component of the Virginia Agency on Aging congregate meal program of both rural and urban sites was studied. The focus of the study was the frequency of formal nutrition education, the source of the nutrition information received, the type of educational techniques that appeared to be most successful, the nutrition education background of the person offering the educational lesson, and whether or not there was positive response in dietary changes as a result of the nutrition education. A questionnaire distributed by mail was completed by 121 congregate meal sites throughout the Commonwealth. Analysis of all components revealed no significant difference between the nutrition education received in rural and urban sites in Virginia. Most meal sites received nutrition education at least once a month. The attendance rate by the seniors was the same as the attendance rate of other educational programs as reported in 80 percent of the meal sites. Most sites used materials the employee classified as professional sources. The study indicated that 77 percent of the site employees perceived an improvement in the dietary habits of the elderly as the result of the nutrition education provided by the congregate meal program. / Master of Science

Patronage behavior was investigated in this study with regard to the nutrition orientation of consumers. The objective of this research was to determine if consumers' patronage behavior of grocery stores, health food stores or restaurants would be significantly related to attitudes and concerns toward nutrition and toward attitudes of their overall present and future state of health. This study relied on theories of retail patronage behavior, and empirical evidence from areas of consumer behavior, nutrition, and health to provide the framework for the design of this research. This study employed the use of a questionnaire as the research method. Consumers were surveyed and asked to indicate their patronage and food purchase behaviors, their attitudes and concerns toward nutrition, and their attitudes toward their preventive health. Results and conclusions from this research support the linkage between the nutritional motivations of consumers impacting upon their decisions to patronize specific retail food establishments. That is, consumers' predispositions concerning nutrition influence where and what types of food products are purchased. / Master of Science

It is believed that the presence of certain trace elements in the skin may play an important role in the formation of melanomas. In this work, neutron activation analysis and x-ray fluorescence analysis were used to determine trace element concentrations in cancerous, noncancerous and normal swine skin samples and in non-cancerous and normal swine tissue samples. In-vivo x-ray fluorescence analysis was also used to determine trace element concentrations in cancerous, non-cancerous, and normal swine skin. Data on forty-eight trace elements in each sample were obtained and correlated. The limited number of cancerous samples made definitive conclusions about trace element imbalances uncertain. Nevertheless, the in-vivo XRFA method was shown to be a very useful method for trace element determination. Additionally, good base line data were obtained for trace element concentrations in a variety of organs of Sinclair miniature swine. / Master of Science

Selected anthropometric (body weight and BMI), dietary (kilocalories, carbohydrate, protein, total fat, saturated fat, linoleic acid, oleic acid, dietary cholesterol, and P/S ratio), blood pressure, and blood lipid parameters (total cholesterol (TC), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), triglyceride (TG), and TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios) were assessed in 67 males from the Cardiac Therapy and Intervention Program at Virginia Tech. Several studies have found strong correlations between these variables and the incidence of coronary heart disease. The group (cardiac or intervention), status (active or inactive), time (1982-83 baseline period, 1983-84 short-term follow-up period, and 1986 long-term follow-up period), and the group and status combination (cardiac active (CA), cardiac inactive (CI), intervention active (IA), and intervention inactive (II)) were chosen for statistical analysis to determine if there were significant differences due to these effects. The P/S ratio ( < 1.0), the dietary cholesterol intake ( > 250 mg), the level of blood cholesterol ( > 200 mg/dl), and the TC/HDL-C and the LDL-C/HDL-C ratios ( > average risk) were identified as areas which needed improvement in all groups. Compared to the dietary guidelines proposed by American Heart Association (AHA), all combinations of comparisons across three time periods exhibited higher percentages of kilocalories provided by total fat, saturated fat, and protein, and lower percentages of kilocalories provided by linoleic acid and carbohydrate. The HDL-C levels were below the fiftieth percentiles relative to, the Lipid Research Clinics Population Study data. Blood pressures were under good control. The four subgroups exhibited significantly different mean body weights and TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios. The II group had the highest values for all these variables, the lowest mean body weight was seen in the CI group, and the IA group had the lowest mean values for the latter two ratios. There was a trend toward the lowest mean dietary intake and blood lipid levels occurring at the short-term follow-up period; however, only the mean intakes of total calories and carbohydrate and the blood LDL-C levels were significantly different among the three time periods. The lowest mean values for these three variables occurred at the short-term follow-up period while the highest mean values occurred at the long-term follow-up period. The group effect was seen in the mean intakes of total fat, saturated fat, linoleic acid, oleic acid, and the percentage of kilocalories as fat and the mean levels of systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The intervention group exhibited the higher mean values for these variables. The major difference relative to status was in the mean values of the TC/HDL-C ratio. The inactive participants had the higher mean value. The results of a discriminant analysis procedure which was used to determine which combination of risk factors was most influential in distinguishing the cardiac group from the intervention group indicated that abnormal electrocardiogram test res~lts and age were the most influential factors of those studied. / M.S.

Seven experienced male bicyclists performed four endurance test rides at 70% ( ± 5) VO₂ max on a bicycle at 90 RPM over a four week period. stationary Subjects consumed a high carbohydrate diet (70%) for two days prior to each test ride. During each test, heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), VO₂ , respiratory exchange ratio (R), serum free fatty acid (FFA) and serum glucose levels were measured. One of the four test treatments was randomly administered, in a single-blind design, at 5, 25, and 40 minutes into each exercise bout. The control trial (CTR) included 50 gelatin capsules containing water, and a lemonade beverage (150 ml each) sweetened with an artificial sweetener (Saccharin). The test mixtures were made up in the same manner as the control with the addition of one of the test substances: 1) MCT oil (M), 2) glucose polymer (P) (Polycose, Ross Laboratories), 3) MCT plus glucose polymer (MP). Depending on the treatment used, MCT oil-containing capsules replaced water-capsules and/or Polycose was dissolved in the lemonade beverage. Total caloric intake of each trial, except control, was 360 calories. No significant difference was found between mean time to exhaustion for the four treatments. No significant difference was noted between treatments for R, VO₂ , and HR responses (p < 0.05). Significantly greater RPE values were found over the first 60 minutes of exercise for the Control treatment as compared to the other three treatments (p < 0.05). Repeated measures ANOVA showed that significantly higher serum glucose values existed for treatment P as compared to M and also significantly higher serum FFA values existed for treatment M as compared to both P and MCT oil with Polycose (MP) over the first 60 minutes of exercise (p < 0.05). Although the combination of MCT oil and Polycose would theoretically enhance endurance performance due to an increased supply of both FFA and glucose available for muscular metabolism, this dietary treatment was ineffective in prolonging exercise time. / Master of Science

M.S.

This study was designed to assess the relationship of dietary and serum beta-carotene to the development of oral lesions in smokeless tobacco users. Eighty eight smokeless tobacco users without oral lesions and 18 with lesions participated in the study. Dietary intake of beta-carotene, personal health habits and selected dietary intake were analyzed by questionnaire. Serum levels were assessed by high pressure liquid chromotography. No correlation between dietary beta-carotene intake and serum beta-carotene levels was observed. Results of t-test analysis indicated no significant difference in the mean serum or dietary intake of beta-carotene between the groups. Mean serum beta-carotene for group-I, users without oral lesions and group-2, users with oral lesions were 12.3 ug/dl(I.02 SE), and 10.6 ug/dl(1.59 SE), respectively. Stepwise regression techniques were employed to assess the influence of selected variables on serum beta-carotene. The effects of smoking, smokeless tobacco exposure, alcohol consumption, and age as well as other dietary indices were evaluated. Age (1.015,p<0.001) was the only factor found to influence serum beta-carotene levels. The small sample size and variability within groups may have decreased the likelihood of observing statistical significance for serum beta-carotene between groups. / Master of Science