Cooking and Meal Planning as Predictors of Fruit and Vegetable Intake and BMI in First-Year College Students

The objective was to determine if cooking skills and meal planning behaviors are associated with greater fruit and vegetable intake and lower body mass index (BMI) in first-year college students who are at risk for excessive weight gain. A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using baseline data from a multi-state research project aimed at preventing weight gain in first-year college students. Cooking type, frequency and confidence, self-instruction for healthful mealtime behavior intention, self-regulation of healthful mealtime behavior, and cup equivalents of fruits and vegetables (FV) were measured using validated surveys. BMI was calculated from measured height and weight. First-year students (n = 1108) considered at risk for weight gain from eight universities completed baseline assessments within the first month of entering college. Multiple linear regression was used to determine associations among independent variables of cooking patterns, meal planning behaviors, and dependent variables of fruit and vegetable intake and BMI, after controlling for the influence of sex. Cooking more frequently, cooking with greater skills, and practicing meal planning behaviors are associated with greater fruit and vegetable intake and lower BMI in first-year college students. Interventions aimed at improving health in college students may be enhanced by incorporating cooking and meal planning components

Assessing cardiovascular disease risk factors in underserved young adult populations

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Food, Nutrition, Dietetics and HealthTandalayo KiddCardiovascular disease (CVD, i.e., disease of the heart and blood vessels) is a major cause of death in the United States and globally. Despite the importance of CVD risk assessment for effective CVD prevention intervention, current assessment tools use either clinical or non-clinical factors alone or in combination to assess disease risk(s). However, in limited-resource or underserved communities, where members have less or no health insurance coverage; higher cost barriers to health care access; and poor self-rated general health, disease diagnoses with such clinical tools may be elusive. Additionally, understanding people’s motivation to participate in health-promoting behaviors is essential for the maintenance and improvement of health. The primary aim of this study was to develop a non-clinical-based survey instrument to be used to identify or assess CVD risks in underserved young adult populations. The study’s specific objectives were to: (1) conduct a systematic literature review to critically appraise and summarize existing CVD risk assessment tools; and (2) adapt or develop a new instrument, incorporating a behavioral component into it, and pilot-test it among young adults from underserved populations. Two online electronic databases – PubMed and Scopus – were searched to identify existing risk assessment tools available in English only and published between 2008 and 2019. A total of 21 distinct CVD risk assessment tools were identified; six of these did not require clinical or laboratory data in their estimation (i.e., were non-clinical). Development of the new instrument, Need-2-Know CVD risk assessment questionnaire, occurred in three phases: focus group discussion (FGD); instrument development, and test-retest reliability testing of questionnaire. The final Need-2-Know CVD risk assessment questionnaire comprised a total of 59 items assessing behavioral risk factors (tobacco use, alcohol consumption, diet, and physical activity), basic psychological needs satisfaction, personal medical history, type of health insurance, and demographic data. Test-retest correlation coefficients ranged from 0.037 to 0.736 for items in the Tobacco use subscale; 0.471 to 1.000 for the Alcohol use items; 0.337 to 0.664 for Diet items; 0.098 to 0.726 for PA items; and 0.601 to 0.724 for the psychological needs satisfaction. Even though most of the correlation coefficients for Diet and PA subscales were significant, they showed unacceptable to poor reliability. To the best of our knowledge, the systematic review conducted as part of this study is the first to identify tools or instruments that have been used to assess CVD risk factors in the young adult population. The items on the subscales of the Need-2-Know CVD risk questionnaire showed acceptable consistency across items. However, the questionnaire showed unacceptable to poor reliability. That notwithstanding, the Need-2-Kow CVD risk assessment questionnaire can be a valuable tool for assessing CVD risks among young adults in a non-clinical and public health settings

Assessing physical activity, fruit and vegetable intake and sugar-sweetened beverage consumption patterns of college students

Master of ScienceDepartment of Human NutritionTandalayo KiddObjective: The aims of this study were to test the effectiveness of a 15-month intervention in reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) consumption among college students and to assess fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity habits and their relationship to SSB consumption in order to improve health outcomes. Design: Randomized, controlled study. Participants: One hundred and fifty-six college students (18-24 y) from a Midwestern university, primarily female (72%), white (89%) and freshmen (51%). Intervention: Participants were randomized to control and intervention groups. Participants in the control group received no information on healthful behaviors. The intervention occurred in two stages: 1) Participants received three stage-tailored messages on healthful behaviors weekly for 10 weeks; 2) After the 3-month physical assessment, participants received 3 stage-tailored messages monthly and one email encouraging them to visit the portal page. Main Outcome Measure(s): Stages of Change for physical activity and fruit and vegetable intake; self-reported physical activity scores, self-reported fruit and vegetable intake and SSB consumption habits. Analysis: Changes in SSB consumption patterns were determined using generalized linear mixed models and linear regression models tested associations between fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity and SSB consumption. Linear mixed models were used to explore relationship between stage of change and fruit and vegetable intake and physical activity. Results: The 15-month intervention did not significantly reduce SSB consumption in the intervention group (p > 0.05). Participants recorded low fruit and vegetable intake and moderate physical activity scores. Conclusions and Implications: The high SSB consumption and low fruit and vegetable intake observed could increase students’ risk for weight gain and obesity-related conditions. Thus, college campuses can help student maintain physical activity behavior while helping them to improve their eating habits

Assessing Physical Activity, Fruit, Vegetable, and Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Intake Patterns of College Students in Kansas

OBJECTIVE: To test the effectiveness of a 15-month intervention for reducing sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) intake among college students and assess fruit and vegetable (F/V) intake and physical activity (PA) habits and their relationship to SSB intake.DESIGN: Randomized, controlled study.PARTICIPANTS: A total of 156 college students (aged 18-24 years) from a Kansas university, mostly female (72%), white (89%), and freshmen (51%).INTERVENTION: Two-staged intervention included participants receiving: (1) 3 weekly stage-tailored messages on healthful behaviors for 10 weeks; and (2) 3 monthly stage-tailored messages and 1 monthly e-mail encouraging a visit to the portal page, after the 3-month physical assessment.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Stages of change for PA and F/V intake, self-reported PA scores, self-reported F/V intake, and SSB intake habits.ANALYSIS: Generalized linear mixed models and linear regression models were used to test changes and associations among outcome measures.RESULTS: No significant decrease occurred in SSB consumption (P \u3e .05) among intervention participants. Both control and intervention groups recorded low F/V intake and moderate PA scores.CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Low F/V intake and high SSB intake evident among study participants may pose risk for unwanted weight gain and obesity-related conditions. Furthermore, college campuses can continue to support an environment conducive for being physically active, while promoting healthy eating behaviors

Tools for Assessing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Underserved Young Adult Populations: A Systematic Review

Cardiovascular disease (CVD, i.e., disease of the heart and blood vessels) is a major cause of death globally. Current assessment tools use either clinical or non-clinical factors alone or in combination to assess CVD risk. The aim of this review was to critically appraise, compare, and summarize existing non-clinically based tools for assessing CVD risk factors in underserved young adult (18–34-year-old) populations. Two online electronic databases—PubMed and Scopus—were searched to identify existing risk assessment tools, using a combination of CVD-related keywords. The search was limited to articles available in English only and published between January 2008 and January 2019. Of the 10,383 studies initially identified, 67 were eligible. In total, 5 out of the 67 articles assessed CVD risk in underserved young adult populations. A total of 21 distinct CVD risk assessment tools were identified; six of these did not require clinical or laboratory data in their estimation (i.e., non-clinical). The main non-clinically based tools identified were the Heart Disease Fact Questionnaire, the Health Beliefs Related to CVD-Perception measure, the Healthy Eating Opinion Survey, the Perception of Risk of Heart Disease Scale, and the WHO STEPwise approach to chronic disease factor surveillance (i.e., the STEPS instrument)