The seated inactivity trial (S.I.T.): physical activity and dietary outcomes associated with eight weeks of imposed sedentary behavior

Master of Public HealthDepartment of Human NutritionMark HaubBackground: 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

Youth wellness promotion for development of positive dietary and physical activity behaviors

Doctor of PhilosophyDepartment of Human NutritionSara RosenkranzThis dissertation examined the impact of wellness-promotion interventions on health-related behaviors in youth, including dietary intake and physical activity (PA) levels. Additionally, the impact of wellness-promotion interventions on health-promoting opportunities for youth in an out-of-school setting was investigated. In study 1 (Chapter 2), the feasibility and preliminary impact of a 12-week, home-based wellness coaching intervention for changes in behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical outcomes in normal-weight female children was evaluated. The two intervention conditions included a general health education condition, and one that implemented skills-building components in the areas of PA and healthy eating. Results showed that both intervention conditions were feasible and well-accepted by participants. There were no changes in the behavioral outcomes of PA levels or fruit and vegetable (FV) consumption, but girls who received the skills-building coaching condition showed an increase in emotional quality of life and a reduction in body fat percentage. Findings suggested that a home-based wellness coaching intervention was feasible and was potentially effective for impacting psychosocial and biomedical outcomes in normal-weight female children. Study 2 (Chapter 3) examined the impact of Girl Scout leader wellness training on implementation of wellness-promoting practices and opportunities for girls during troop meetings. This study compared the effectiveness of in-person versus online leader wellness training, specifically assessing opportunities for wellness-promoting behaviors, including FV consumption and PA during meetings. Study results indicated that leaders who received the wellness training in person increased their implementation of wellness-promoting practices significantly more than those who received the wellness training in an online format. Analyses regarding dissemination revealed that adoption of wellness-training principles occurred in approximately 43% of troop leaders, and that lower-income leaders were more interested in receiving the wellness training, as compared to higher-income leaders. Overall, results indicated that in-person wellness training was effective for improving wellness-promoting opportunities for girls, but a more cost-effective and further-reaching training method was needed for a larger public health impact. Therefore, study 3 (Chapter 4) evaluated the impact of online, video-based wellness training on Girl Scout leaders’ wellness-promotion self-efficacy, intention, and knowledge. These factors are established determinants of behavior change, including offering opportunities in the areas of PA and FV consumption. Results showed that leaders who received the video-based wellness training had a significant increase in self-efficacy for overcoming barriers related to PA and FV practices, as well as increased self-efficacy for offering vegetables during troop meetings. Both groups showed increased intention for offering both fruit and vegetable opportunities during upcoming meetings. These results showed that online, video-based wellness training was effective for impacting determinants of behavior change in Girl Scout troop leaders, which may improve the wellness opportunities for girls during troop meetings. Overall, the findings from this dissertation collectively contribute to the existing literature by providing evidence regarding effective interventions for improving wellness-promoting opportunities and experiences for youth. If disseminated and implemented widely, evidence-based interventions and practices similar to those discussed within this dissertation may lead to improvements in health-related behaviors among youth, increased wellness-promoting opportunities, and ultimately have a positive impact on population health

Wildcat wellness coaching feasibility trial: protocol for home-based health behavior mentoring in girls

Citation: Cull, B. J., Rosenkranz, S. K., Dzewaltowski, D. A., Teeman, C. S., Knutson, C. K., & Rosenkranz, R. R. (2016). Wildcat wellness coaching feasibility trial: protocol for home-based health behavior mentoring in girls. Pilot and Feasibility Studies, 2(1), 26. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40814-016-0066-yChildhood obesity is a major public health problem, with one third of America’s children classified as either overweight or obese. Obesity prevention and health promotion programs using components such as wellness coaching and home-based interventions have shown promise, but there is a lack of published research evaluating the impact of a combined home-based and wellness coaching intervention for obesity prevention and health promotion in young girls. The main objective of this study is to test the feasibility of such an intervention on metrics related to recruitment, intervention delivery, and health-related outcome assessments. The secondary outcome is to evaluate the possibility of change in health-related psychosocial, behavioral, and biomedical outcomes in our sample of participants

Does moderate intensity exercise attenuate the postprandial lipemic and airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal?

Citation: Stephanie P. Kurti, Sara K. Rosenkranz, Morton Levitt, et al., “Does Moderate Intensity Exercise Attenuate the Postprandial Lipemic and Airway Inflammatory Response to a High-Fat Meal?,” BioMed Research International, vol. 2015, Article ID 647952, 10 pages, 2015. doi:10.1155/2015/647952We investigated whether an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise in the postprandial period attenuates the triglyceride and airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal (HFM) compared to remaining inactive in the postprandial period. Seventeen (11 M/6 F) physically active (≥150 min/week of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise (EX; 60% VO[subscript 2peak]) or sedentary (CON) condition after a HFM (10 kcal/kg, 63% fat). Blood analytes and airway inflammation via exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) were measured at baseline, and 2 and 4 hours after HFM. Airway inflammation was assessed with induced sputum and cell differentials at baseline and 4 hours after HFM. Triglycerides doubled in the postprandial period (~113 ± 18%, P < 0.05 ), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Percentage of neutrophils was increased 4 hours after HFM (~17%), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Exhaled nitric oxide changed nonlinearly from baseline to 2 and 4 hours after HFM (P < 0.05, ƞ² = 0.36) . Our findings suggest that, in active individuals, an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise does not attenuate the triglyceride or airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal

Lipemic and Airway Inflammatory Response to a High-Fat Meal?

We investigated whether an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise in the postprandial period attenuates the triglyceride and airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal (HFM) compared to remaining inactive in the postprandial period. Seventeen (11 M/6 F) physically active (≥150 min/week of moderate-vigorous physical activity (MVPA)) subjects were randomly assigned to an exercise (EX; 60% VO 2peak ) or sedentary (CON) condition after a HFM (10 kcal/kg, 63% fat). Blood analytes and airway inflammation via exhaled nitric oxide (eNO) were measured at baseline, and 2 and 4 hours after HFM. Airway inflammation was assessed with induced sputum and cell differentials at baseline and 4 hours after HFM. Triglycerides doubled in the postprandial period (∼113 ± 18%, &lt; 0.05), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Percentage of neutrophils was increased 4 hours after HFM (∼17%), but the increase did not differ between EX and CON. Exhaled nitric oxide changed nonlinearly from baseline to 2 and 4 hours after HFM ( &lt; 0.05, 2 = 0.36). Our findings suggest that, in active individuals, an acute bout of moderate intensity exercise does not attenuate the triglyceride or airway inflammatory response to a high-fat meal

Impact of online, video-based wellness training on Girl Scout leaders’ wellness promotion self-efficacy, intention, and knowledge: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of tailored, online, video-based training on Girl Scout troop leaders’ wellness promotion self-efficacy, intention, and knowledge regarding physical activity and fruit and vegetable practices during troop meetings. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: Thirty Girl Scouts leaders were randomized to control (CON; n = 16) or intervention (INT; n = 14) conditions. INT leaders received six online weekly training videos on implementation of physical activity (PA) and fruit and vegetable (FV) practices during troop meetings. Videos addressed leader-identified improvement areas and strategies to overcome barriers. Leaders set PA and FV goals for upcoming meetings and self-monitored their progress. Questionnaires were completed at baseline and post-intervention on leaders’ task and barrier self-efficacy, intention, and knowledge regarding meeting-time PA and FV practices. Results: INT leaders increased PA practices barrier self-efficacy (INT = 16.5 ± 24.1%, CON = −4.8 ± 21.5%; p = 0.036), vegetable practices self-efficacy (INT = 10.3 ± 13.3%, CON = −3.5 ± 28.9%; p = 0.049), and FV practices barrier self-efficacy (INT = 12.4 ± 4.6%, CON = 1.6 ± 28.7%; p = 0.036), when compared to CON leaders. There were no changes (p &gt; 0.05) in PA or FV knowledge. Conclusions and implications: Results suggest the potential for using online video-based training for improvements in wellness-promoting practices of Girl Scout troop leaders

Efficacy of Lactobacillus animalis and Propionibacterium freudenreichii-Based Feed Additives in Reducing Salmonella-Associated Health and Performance Effects in Commercial Beef Calves

Salmonella enterica, which causes typhoid fever, is one of the most prevalent food-borne pathogens. Salmonellosis in cattle can greatly impact a producer&rsquo;s income due to treatment costs, decreased productivity of the herd, and mortality due to disease. Current methods of treatment and prevention for salmonellosis consist of antibiotics and vaccinations, but neither of these options are perfect. Probiotics, categorized as antibiotic alternatives, are living microorganisms that are added to animal feeds in appropriate quantities in order to benefit health and productivity in adult and newborn livestock. The objective of this study was to demonstrate that Lactobacillus animalis and Propionibacterium freudenreichii, when used as a direct-fed microbial, was effective in reducing the adverse effects of experimentally induced Salmonella infection in beef calves. We conducted a single site efficacy study with masking using a randomized design comprising two groups of ten beef calves allocated to two treatment groups (control and probiotic). Procedures such as determining general health scores and body weight and collecting fecal samples were carried out following the experimental challenge of calves with Salmonella Typhimurium. The presence of at least one CFU of bacteria in feces was significantly higher among animals in the control than in the probiotic group, which was higher on days 0 to 7 than on days 8 to 14 (p = 0.012). Animals in the control group had a significantly higher presence of abnormal diarrhea scores than animals in the probiotic group (p &lt; 0.001). Most notably, other health benefits in probiotic-fed group calves were obviously better than those for control calves and further substantiates the potential economic and health benefits of feeding effective probiotics

Wellness-promoting practices through Girl Scouts : a pragmatic superiority randomized controlled trial with additional dissemination

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of in-person versus online Girl Scout leader wellness training for implementation of wellness-promoting practices during troop meetings (phase I) and to assess training adoption and current practices across the council (phase II). Design: Pragmatic superiority trial (phase 1) followed by serial cross-sectional study (phase II). Setting: Girl Scout troop meetings in Northeast Kansas. Participants: Eighteen troop leaders from 3 counties (phase 1); 113 troop leaders from 7 counties (phase II). Intervention: Phase I: Troop leaders attended 2 wellness training sessions (first in groups, second individually), wherein leaders set wellness-promoting practice implementation goals, self-monitored progress, and received guidance and resources for implementation. Leaders received the intervention in person or online. Measures: Phase I: At baseline and postintervention, leaders completed a wellness-promoting practice implementation questionnaire assessing practices during troop meetings (max score = 11). Phase II: Leaders completed a survey about typical troop practices and interest in further training. Analysis: Phase I: Generalized linear mixed modeling. Results: Phase I: In-person training increased wellness-promoting practice implementation more than online training (in person = 2.1 + 1.8; online = 0.2 + 1.2; P =.022). Phase II: Fifty-six percent of leaders adopted the training. For 8 of 11 wellness categories, greater than 50% of leaders employed wellness-promoting practices. Conclusion: In-person training was superior to online training for improvements in wellness-promoting practices. Wellness training was adopted by the majority of leaders across the council