Due to the short time the updated National School Lunch Program standards have been in place since fall of 2012, few research studies have explored what effect these new standards have had on fruit and vegetable (F/V) consumption, particularly among elementary school students. Because the new standards require schools to offer students more F/V than before, researchers are interested to know if F/V consumption has indeed increased. The participants in the study were enrolled in a program to motivate students to eat more F/V – the Food Dudes program. The results of the data analysis found that most students, regardless of grade, were eating less F/V initially after the new standards were in place. However, the group of students receiving prizes from the Food Dudes program actually ate more F/V over time instead of less. Also, F/V consumption for the first spring under the new standards did not decrease as much as it had during the spring under the old standards. These results indicate that, despite initial declines in F/V consumption, students could be adjusting to the updated standards. Also, students who have participated in the incentives group of the Food Dudes program did not show a drop in F/V consumption, even during the first semester the new standards were in place. Future studies should look at the current F/V intake of students under the updated guidelines now that they have been in place for several school years, as well as at additional intervention programs to increase F/V consumption among this population.

Rowe and Kahns theory of successful aging identifies three main components of aging successfully: reducing the risk of disease and disability, maintaining high cognitive and physical function, and engagement with life. While there is compelling evidence that suggests the legitimacy of this concept in the 50-75 year old community dwelling population, three areas of expansion are necessary: 1.) programmatic research; 2.) extending the existing research samples to include older samples and those living in continuing care retirement communities (CCRCs); and 3.) the integration of data collection and analysis to move beyond investigation of just one successful aging outcome to include elements of all three components of successful aging. Longitudinal analysis utilizing hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) was conducted on a convenience sample of 136 older adults (mean age = 80.8 years at baseline) participating in a pilot community-wide successful aging program over a 26-month period. Results indicate the sample reported exercising frequently, ate recommended levels of fruits and vegetables, had healthy BMIs, had positive ratings of health, were highly involved in productive activities, and were satisfied with their ability to give and receive social support at baseline. High levels of mobility were measured in the sample. Participants maintained this picture of successful aging over time for the majority of outcome variables, though significant declines in self-reported health were observed. Participants also reported improvements in their satisfaction with receiving social support. Results support four major conclusions: 1.) The three criteria of successful aging identified by Rowe and Kahn (1997) were observed among older adults living in CCRCs who were enrolled in a successful aging program. 2.) Stability was observed on a number of the outcomes over 26 months in this convenience sample, which has implications for intervention/programmatic research. Despite the traditional improvement-oriented focus of programmatic research, stability or maintenance of well-being over time should be viewed as a positive outcome in older age, particularly when compared to national data depicting trends of decline. 3.) The interdependence of current results support the notion that successful aging programming needs to include multi-disciplinary intervention strategies, as supported by the finding that modifiers of physical, social, and intellectual well-being include constructs from each of the components of successful aging. 4.) Participants of the current study were largely in the precontemplation and contemplation stages of change. Readiness to change needs to be factored into the design of any successful aging program, as the Transtheoretical Model could be a powerful tool for the identification of readiness to change and the development of appropriate and effective successful aging programming.

The purpose of this non-experimental quantitative correlational study was to investigate the relationship between academic achievement and health in a national sample of college students using quantitative data analysis. Specifically, the researcher analyzed the relationship between three health-promoting behaviors (physical activity, strength training, and fruit and vegetable consumption), three negative health behaviors (cigarette, e-cigarette, and opioid use) and obesity with GPA. Cross-sectional data on student health collected from the American College Health Association’s National College Health Assessment II (ACHA-NCHA-II) and completed by 426,650 college students from 650 U.S. colleges during the semesters between 2015 and 2019 formed the foundation for this research. Nine research questions were addressed using a series of chi square tests. Results showed there was a significant positive relationship between health behaviors and grade average. Students who met the recommendations for fruit and vegetable consumption, moderate activity and vigorous physical activity were more likely to have GPAs than those who did not. Students who used cigarettes, opioids, or were obese were more likely to have GPAs.

This study conducted the first nationwide epidemiological survey to investigate the effects of dietary fat, fruit, and vegetable intake on the health of student musicians in the United States. Despite the recognized importance of nutrition in other performance fields, such as athletics, the relationship between diet and health in musicians has not been rigorously explored until now. The survey assessed dietary intake, body mass index (BMI), mood states via the DASS-21, engagement with healthcare, nutritional knowledge, and mental health history among 641 music majors. Key findings include higher fat intake and BMI predicted higher DASS-21 total scores as well as each separate sub-score for depression, anxiety, and stress; a significantly lower mean BMI in the study group compared to the general U.S. college student population; and mixed results regarding healthcare engagement and its relation to diet and BMI, suggesting the need for a more suitable model for analysis. Notably, sources of nutritional knowledge and barriers to healthy eating significantly influenced diet quality, indicating potential misinformation about fat consumption and the positive impact of accessible healthy foods on diet quality. Additionally, mental health diagnoses were associated with lower fat and fruit/vegetable scores but not BMI. These results underscore the potential negative impact of dietary habits on mental health among music majors and highlight a widespread misunderstanding of what constitutes a healthy diet. Future research should refine dietary assessments and incorporate biometric data, while music education institutions are urged to include nutrition education in their curricula, emphasizing the role of diet in overall musician wellness.