bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Coordination of Classroom Nutrition Education with School Nutrition Services Programs in California Schools
Authors: Jones Anna M , Briggs Marilyn , Pitchford Julie Boarer , Zidenberg‐Cherr Sheri 
Published: November 2023

The objective of this research was to determine the extent to which school nutrition services personnel provide nutrition education to students, and whether they coordinate with classroom education. A web link to the Nutrition Education Survey was sent to all School Nutrition Programs listserv subscribers, which is maintained by the California Department of Education. The survey received 612 responses, all of which were from individuals employed in programs participating in the National School Lunch Program. The average respondent was a school nutrition director in a district with less than 2,500 students and a free and reduced price eligibility of 75 to 100 percent. The majority of respondents agreed that nutrition education was not a part of their job description or duties (59%), however 72% indicated that the nutrition services program is involved in nutrition education in the school or district. School nutrition staff provided informal nutrition education in the lunchrooms of 63% of respondent districts. Coordination of school lunch with classroom nutrition education occurred in almost half of respondent districts (48%), and more than half of respondents agreed that classroom nutrition education is consistent with the food served in the school meals programs (64%). Approximately half of respondents collaborated with teachers in providing nutrition education (54%). Support from teachers, staff, or outside experts occurred in 60% of respondent districts. In summary, while involvement of school nutrition programs in nutrition education was reported by a majority of respondents, only half of respondents are coordinating or collaborating with teachers in providing nutrition education. This indicates opportunities exist to expand coordinated, school‐wide nutrition education programs.Support or Funding InformationFunding for this study was provided, in part, by the California Department of Education.
Validation of two brief questionnaires designed to assess fruit and vegetable intake among 3rd–5th grade SNAP‐Ed participants
Authors: Zhang Youjie , Hurtado Ghaffar , Reicks Marla 
Published: November 2023

Reliable, valid and easy‐to‐implement tools are needed to monitor behavior change among youth SNAP‐Ed participants. The Food Web questionnaire (FWQ) and the Plate Activity questionnaire (PAQ) are two brief instruments designed to assess fruit and vegetable intake among 3rd–5th grade children. Children were asked to write eight foods that they ate yesterday in the FWQ and to indicate the proportion of their dinner plate covered with fruits and vegetables the previous night in the PAQ. To examine test‐retest reliability, children (n=27) completed the FWQ and PAQ on two occasions, one week apart. Children also took photos of their dinner plate on both occasions. Wilcoxon signed‐rank test showed that the numbers of total foods, fruits and vegetables and the PAQ scores remained stable between test‐1 and test‐2, respectively. To determine convergent validity, children (n=65) completed the FWQ and PAQ followed by an interviewer‐administered 24 hour dietary recall (24HR). Although Wilcoxon signed‐rank tests didn't show significant differences in terms of counts of fruits and vegetables between the FWQ and 24HR, the match rates of fruit and vegetable items were relatively low (38.3% and 41.3%, respectively) and the omission and intrusion rates were relatively high (38.3% and 23.4%, and 38.7% and 20.0%, respectively). Pearson correlation analysis showed a positive relationship between the PAQ scores and 24HR dinner fruit and vegetable servings (r=0.31, p<0.001). However, fruit and vegetable intake at dinner was not significantly different by PAQ scores (F (4, 60) =2.25, p=0.074). Of the 36 cases of researcher‐assigned PAQ scores based on dinner plate photos taken by the participants, only 1/3 of participants’ scores matched researcher‐assigned scores, with more overestimations than underestimations (42% vs 25%). In conclusion, test‐retest reliability was acceptable for the FWQ and the PAQ, but convergent validity was questionable within the current sample. Revisions of the questionnaires may be necessary to improve convergent validity.Support or Funding InformationUniversity of Minnesota Extension SNAP‐Ed
Menu Labeling: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You&[hellip]or is it?
Authors: Green Jessie Erin , DeWeese Robin , Lorts Cori , Ohri‐Vachaspati Punam 
Published: November 2023

Starting December 1, 2016, restaurants with 20 or more locations nation‐wide will be required to post calorie information on menus and menu boards. The goals of menu labeling are to increase awareness and to help patrons make healthier decisions when eating out, as consumers and nutrition professionals alike have trouble estimating the calorie content of away‐from‐home meals. The purpose of this study is to determine the proportion of restaurants that will be impacted by the new menu labeling regulations in four urban cities in New Jersey. Secondly, this study aims to determine if certain neighborhoods are more likely to be impacted by the national menu labeling mandate, based on neighborhood sociodemographics, including median household income, number of households with children under the age of 18, and race and ethnicity characteristics. Geocoded data on locations of restaurant outlets in each of the four New Jersey cities was obtained from InfoUSA and classified using a standard protocol developed for a NIH‐funded study. A list of the Top 100 Chain Restaurants from a published Technomic, Inc. report and store locater features available on restaurant webpages were used to determine menu labeling eligibility for each restaurant. In accordance with the FDA's guidelines for retail establishments, restaurants that are part of a chain with 20 or more locations, doing business under the same name, and offering substantially the same menu items were identified as menu labeling establishments, coded as 1 (vs. 0 for others). Neighborhood characteristics were obtained using census tract data from the American Community Survey. The final analysis included 1,761 restaurants located in 267 census tracts. Over 80% of restaurants were classified as a single location, meaning they will not be impacted by the new menu labeling mandate. Fifty‐one percent of included tracts have a median household income below 185% of the federal poverty line for a family of 4; the majority (greater than 50%) of residents over the age of 25 have only a high school degree or less in 69% of census tracts; 21%, 37%, and 18% of tracts are majority Hispanic, non‐Hispanic black, and non‐Hispanic white, respectively. Chi‐squared tests will be used to determine differences in the proportion of restaurants that will be impacted by menu labeling by census tract. Logistic regression models will determine the odds of being exposed to menu labeling for census tracts with different neighborhood characteristics. Results from this study can be used to determine how exposure to menu labeling may vary depending on the type of neighborhood in which an individual works or resides.Support or Funding InformationRobert Wood Johnson Foundation
My Grandmother's Pot: Caribbean Immigrant Cooking Skills and Dietary Acculturation
Authors: Horlyck‐Romanovsky Margrethe Frost , Russell Kate , Yeh Ming‐Chin 
Published: November 2023

Immigrant children who grow up in New York City often express strong connection to the cultural food practices associated with their parents’ or grandparents’ country or culture of origin yet often lament that they are unable to cook the signature dishes of their childhood and youth that are part of their cultural identity. The Caribbean Immigrant Cooking Skills and Acculturation project seeks to understand the process of dietary acculturation as it relates specifically to behaviors and decisions around cooking/cooking skills, shopping, and eating, and how these might be associated with health outcomes in adult Black Caribbean immigrants from English speaking countries and their children and/or grandchildren living in New York City.Black Caribbean immigrants are less likely than other immigrant groups to experience negative effects of dietary acculturation such as obesity, diabetes and hypertension, however, their children do not benefit from this protective effect. In‐depth interviews are used to fully understand the underlying mechanisms, social behaviors, norms and decision processes of the dietary acculturation in this population.ResultsThe initial phase of the study has shown that Black Caribbean immigrant families, as might be expected, prioritize formal education over life skills transfer, however, equally significant were a number of factors including: matriarchs who retained control of cultural heritage in a new country; a difference in perception (US vs. country of origin) of whether cooking is “safe” for children to be involved in; smaller family size; the false perception that cooking is something one has to be “taught”; and the younger immigrants’ desire to become enculturated in the US.ConclusionDietary acculturation is a desired process in younger immigrant generations, a process which deteriorates their diet and jeopardizes future health, and a process which appears to be accelerating. Retention of culture of origin is desired by adult immigrants; however, given the changes in family dynamics, the rupture of social roles and social support associated with migration, as well as the fact that skills, knowledge and social norms from the country of origin are not passed down to younger generations, further exacerbate the effects of acculturation. Recommendations include community based participatory program development facilitating inter‐generational cultural skills and knowledge exchange, such as communal cooking classes and oral history projects exploring and validating the immigrant experience. These could facilitate amelioration of some of the challenges and health outcomes faced by immigrants and their families.Support or Funding InformationThis project was supported by a grant from the Doctoral Student Research Grant program at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York.
SSB assessment in a Teaching Primary care clinic involving Family Practice residents: A feasibility study over three months
Authors: Nirmalraj Maya , Neme Jamil , Mathews Haley , Khandalavala Birgit 
Published: November 2023

BackgroundMore than one‐third of adults and 17% of youth in the United States are obese. The average caloric intake for Americans has increased by 150 to 300 calories per day over the last 30 years with roughly 50% of these calories come from liquids, mainly sugar‐sweetened beverages (SSB). Obesity is associated with increased risk of a number of adverse cardiovascular diseases that includes diabetes, heart disease, fatty liver, sleep apnea, PCOS and other health conditions. SSBs have been independently associated with many of these conditions. Research has shown that the chances of developing type 2 diabetes for those who consume SSBs regularly increases by 26%. Hence we proposed a feasibility study in a high risk population to assess the current consumption of beverages in a Family Medicine Clinic at an academic medical center in Omaha Nebraska. The BEVQ‐15 is a valid and reliable survey that estimates mean daily intake of a variety of beverages consumed.MethodsAssessment of SSB in the clinic can be accessed via various food frequency surveys. The BEVQ 15 was elected to be used as a tool due to brevity and being compatible with lower literacy levels up to the 4th grade level. Feasibility was determined to include acceptability, demand, implementation, practicality and adaptation.ResultsWe collected 311 completed surveys over a three month period. Two research assistants approached patients in the patient room, proposed enrollment, to ensure privacy, and prior to arrival of the provider. Time required less than 5 minutes on average. There was no disruption in the flow of the clinic. Patients were highly receptive to the interaction.ConclusionUsing the BEVQ – 15 to assess consumption of SSB in a teaching primary care clinic involving Family Practice residents was feasible. Further essential research and targeted intervention can be conducted in this high risk population.Support or Funding Informationno support or funding was received
Dairy Foods: Current Evidence of their Effects on Bone, Cardiometabolic, Cognitive, and Digestive Health
Authors: Hess Julie , Jonnalagadda Satya , Slavin Joanne 
Published: November 2023

Recent cross‐sectional and intervention studies on the associations of dairy food consumption with bone, cardiometabolic, cognitive, and digestive health show that dairy products have promise as health‐promoting foods for the prevention or amelioration of osteoporosis, sarcopenia, the metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, and digestive ailments. Many of the mechanisms or specific components of dairy foods responsible for these associations remain unknown. However, some dairy food components, including micronutrient composition, high quality protein, bioactive peptides, prebiotics, probiotics, and the milk fat globule membrane, may contribute to the beneficial health effects. Due to its nutrient profile and the current evidence of its benefits, at least one daily serving of a dairy item is recommended by the dietary guidelines of several countries. Yet, even in the U.S., many individuals do not consume the recommended three cups of dairy foods a day. Given their unique nutrient profile as well as the ubiquity of chronic health problems around the world, with further nutrition science research and thoughtful formulations from the food industry, dairy and dairy‐derived components could be used to great advantage to support public health.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by research funding from Kerry, Beloit, WI.
Low‐fat Yogurt Consumption Reduces Markers of Chronic Inflammation in Apparently Healthy Lean and Obese Women
Authors: Pei Ruisong , DiMarco Diana , Putt Kelley , Martin Derek , Bruno Richard , Bolling Bradley 
Published: November 2023

The objective of this study was to determine whether daily low‐fat yogurt consumption would reduce biomarkers of chronic inflammation by improving intestinal barrier function in apparently healthy lean and obese women. Lean and obese women (18.5–27 vs. 30–40 kg/m2; n = 30/group) participated in a randomized, controlled study where they received 12 oz low‐fat yogurt (YL, yogurt lean; YO, yogurt obese) or soy pudding (CL, control lean; CO, control obese) daily for 9 wk while maintaining their usual energy intake. Plasma biomarkers of inflammation and intestinal barrier function were determined in the fasted state at wk 0, 3, 6, and 9. At baseline, obese participants had higher plasma lipopolysaccharide‐binding protein (LBP), LBP/soluble CD14 (sCD14) ratio, immunoglobulin M endotoxin‐core antibody (IgM EndoCAb), interleukin 6 (IL‐6), high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein (hsCRP), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF‐α) and TNF‐α/soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor II (sTNF‐RII) ratio than lean participants. After 9 wk of yogurt consumption, YO biomarkers of chronic inflammation were lower than those at baseline: IL‐6 by 17%, hsCRP by 9%, TNF‐α by 7%, and TNF‐α/sTNF‐RII by 7%. Also, at 9 wk, plasma IgM EndoCAb, peripheral blood mononuclear cell mRNA expression of transforming growth factor beta 1 and nuclear factor kappa B inhibitor alpha increased by 5%, 20%, and 54% respectively in YO compared to those at 0 wk. YL also had decreased TNF‐α, TNF‐α/sTNF‐RII and increased IgM EndoCAb from baseline. Biomarkers of inflammation were unaffected in those receiving soy pudding regardless of obesity status. CO had an 11% increase in LBP/sCD14 ratio. Therefore, consumption of low‐fat yogurt for 9 weeks appears to improve intestinal barrier function and reduce fasting biomarkers of chronic inflammation in both lean and obese women.Support or Funding InformationDairy Research Institute
Body Composition Changes in Weight‐Stable Overweight and Obese Middle‐Aged Adults Who Performed Exercise Training For 36 Weeks Impact Indexes of Cardio‐Metabolic Health
Authors: Amankwaah Akua , Kim Jung Eun , Campbell Wayne 
Published: November 2023

BackgroundOverweight and obese adults are encouraged to reduce body weight and perform exercise to improve health, but the impact of changes in body composition without changes in body weight on health are not established.PurposeThis secondary analysis assessed the impact of changes in body composition on changes in cardio‐metabolic health indexes in overweight and obese middle‐aged adults who were body weight‐stable while participating in an exercise training program.MethodsMen and women [n = 152; age 49 ± 8 y, body mass index 30.0 ± 2.7 kg/m2; means ± SEM] performed resistance exercises 2 d/wk and aerobic exercises 1 d/wk and consumed unrestricted diets along with 200 kcal supplements containing 0, 10, 20, 30 g whey protein twice daily for 36 wk. Body weight stability was defined as <5 % body weight change over 36 wk. Fasting‐state whole body composition variables, plasma glucose, insulin, and lipid‐lipoprotein profile, blood pressure, and waist circumference (WC) were measured pre‐ and post‐intervention. The homeostatic model assessment‐insulin resistance (HOMA‐IR) and whole‐body (composite) insulin sensitivity index (ISI) were calculated. The ratio of lean mass to fat mass (LM:FM) was our primary proxy for body composition quality. Multiple linear regression model was primarily applied for data analysis and adjusted (age, sex, and pre‐intervention dependent variable) regression coefficients and 95 % confidence interval are reported.ResultsWhey protein supplementation did not influence body composition and cardio‐metabolic health indexes responses. Among all subjects, LM:FM increased from pre to post‐intervention. Changes (delta, Δ) in LM:FM were inversely associated with ΔWC (−9.11 (−14.5, −3.70), P = 0.001) and positively associated with ΔISI (6.66 (1.21, 12.1), P = 0.017) and Δ high density lipoprotein cholesterol (12.2 (−0.06, 24.5), P=0.051). There were no associations between ΔLM:FM and changes in blood pressure, glucose, insulin, triacylglycerol, total cholesterol, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, and HOMA‐IR.ConclusionChanges in body composition quality with body weight stability predicted changes in markers of central obesity, insulin sensitivity, and lipid‐lipoprotein profile. These results suggest that exercise‐related body composition changes may extend positive effects on some cardio‐metabolic health indexes in overweight and obese adults who performed exercise training while weight‐stable.Support or Funding InformationSupport: US Whey Protein Res Consort; NIH T32AG025671; NIH UL1TR001108; Purdue Ingest Behav Res Ctr
Acanthosis Nigricans: Relation to Risk of Type 2 Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases among Jamaican Adolescents
Authors: Barrett Sheila C , Huffman Fatma , Campa Adrianna , Johnson Paulette , Magnus Marcia , Ragoobirsingh Dalip 
Published: November 2023

Type 2 diabetes (T2D) and risk for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) have been reported among Jamaican adolescents. Detection of Acanthosis Nigricans (AN), a dark line around the neck signifying insulin resistance and related to high body mass index (BMI), can serve as an early warning sign for T2D and CVD development. The objectives of the study were to examine the relationship between the presence of AN and the risk of developing T2D and CVD among Jamaican adolescents. A descriptive epidemiological cross‐sectional study of 276 Jamaican adolescents ages 14–19 years (15.6±1.2), selected from ten high schools on the island, participated. Fasting blood glucose (FBG), total cholesterol (TC), glycated hemoglobin (A1c), blood pressure (BP), BMI, waist circumference (WC), waist‐to‐hip ratio (WHR), and presence of AN were examined. Spearman correlations of AN with the other seven risk factors were highly significant for six of these other risk factors (P<0.05) except for A1c (P=0.085). Females had significantly higher WC (p<0.041), and presence of AN (P<0.013), whereas, males had significantly higher FBG (P<0.039). Urban subjects had significantly higher BMI (P<0.018) and WC (P<0.021) than rural subjects. High total cholesterol was significant for subjects with lower income (P<0.039). The presence of AN classified more subjects at risk than did the other seven risk factors. Examining students for the presence of AN can be economically and easily performed within the schools. Over one third of the study subjects reported three or more risk factors for T2D and CVD which indicates early intervention measures are needed for this population.Support or Funding InformationFunded by The Dissertation Year Fellowship and the Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Florida International University
Arginine or Guanidinoacetic Acid Can Serve as Precursors for Creatine Synthesis in Parenteral Nutrition, but Only with Excess Methionine to Facilitate Transmethylation
Authors: Bray Scott D. , Aljaroudi Alaa , Dinesh O. Chandani , Kankayaliyan Thillayampalam , Brunton Janet A. , Bertolo Robert F. 
Published: November 2023

Creatine synthesis in neonates demands high amounts of its precursors, arginine and methionine. Parenteral nutrition (PN) is typically marginal in these amino acids and devoid in creatine. The present study investigated the effectiveness of creatine supplementation of PN compared to supplementation with arginine, methionine and the unmethylated intermediate guanidinoacetic acid (GAA). The goal of this study was to determine if PN supplementation with creatine or GAA can spare methionine and/or arginine for other functions. Yucatan miniature‐piglets (6–10 d old; n=31) were fed 1 of 5 elemental PN diets: 1) low arginine and low methionine (Low Arg&Met), 2) low arginine and methionine plus GAA, 3) low arginine and methionine plus creatine, 4) high arginine and high methionine (High Arg&Met), or 5) low arginine with high methionine plus GAA (Met&GAA). After 7 d of feeding, a primed, constant infusion of [3H‐methyl]‐methionine was intravenously infused for 4 h and label incorporation in transmethylation products (creatine, phosphatidylcholine, DNA) and protein were measured. Both High Arg&Met and Met&GAA pigs had greater daily weight gain compared to GAA‐ and creatine‐supplemented pigs (p < 0.05), indicating methionine was deficient in low methionine groups. Moreover, 72‐h nitrogen retention was significantly greater in High Met&Arg and Met&GAA pigs compared to GAA (p < 0.05). These results suggest that because methionine is heavily transmethylated in the neonatal piglet, excess methionine is needed to promote protein synthesis and increase growth. As expected, plasma methionine and arginine concentrations were significantly higher in High Met&Arg compared to Low Arg&Met, GAA and creatine treatments (p < 0.05). Plasma levels of ornithine were significantly higher and glutamine levels were significantly lower in High Met&Arg compared to all other treatments (p < 0.05) suggesting urea cycle metabolism was limited in the low arginine groups. Hepatic fractional synthetic rate of creatine was ~30–40% higher in High Met&Arg and Met&GAA pigs, suggesting creatine synthesis was limited by precursor availability. These results also suggest that PN supplementation of GAA requires excess levels of methionine to facilitate transmethylation to creatine. These results suggest that arginine or GAA is needed to adequately synthesize creatine in PN‐fed piglets, but only when sufficient methionine is fed to provide methyl groups. Moreover, it is clear that the methionine and arginine requirements during PN feeding need to accommodate creatine synthesis.Support or Funding InformationSupported by Canadian Institutes of Health Research and the Janeway Research Foundation