Barriers to a Healthy Lifestyle: From Individuals to Public Policy—An Ecological Perspective

By using an ecological framework, this article provides a review of common barriers to healthful eating and being physically active. The barriers are described within the four levels (intrapersonal, interpersonal, community/institution, and macro/public policy) of an ecological model highlighting the need for multifaceted approaches to overcome these barriers. Examples of how Extension professionals can effectively target these barriers to promote healthier lifestyles and encourage the development of related policies and community programs are given. Practical examples of interventions that have successfully used an ecological model to promote behavior change are also provided

College Students’ Knowledge of Recovery Beverage Serving Sizes

International Journal of Exercise Science 10(3): 397-405, 2017. Previous research suggests that chocolate milk may be a beneficial recovery beverage, yet little is known about how athletes and students training for careers in sports science or health-related fields interpret recommended recovery beverage serving sizes. This study examined college students’ ability to correctly apply serving size recommendations for chocolate milk and protein powder used during post-exercise recovery and assessed usual consumption of milk as a recovery beverage. College students (34 women, 39 men) poured the amount of chocolate milk they would consume within 90 minutes after exercise unaided and with the use of a serving size guide. They scooped the amount of protein powder they would use after exercising. Participants reported consuming about 1.3±1.8 glasses of milk and drinking a recovery beverage besides milk an average of 0.95±1.3 times in the past three days. The majority poured less than recommended. Student athletes poured significantly closer to the recommendation than non-athletes (436±128 ml versus 418±127 ml, p=0.016) and poured significantly closer to the recommendation after reviewing a serving size guide (p=0.038). Athletes and men served themselves significantly more protein powder than non-athletes (13.0±5.6 g versus 10.3±5.2 g, p=0.047) and women (12.5±6.0 g versus 9.8±4.4 g, p=0.041). Most participants reported that the serving size guide was easy to read and helpful. Nutrition education specific to post-exercise recovery beverages may help students improve accuracy when interpreting serving size recommendations

The effect of walnut intake on factors related to prostate and vascular health in older men

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Tocopherols may protect against prostate cancer and cardiovascular disease (CVD).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We assessed the effect of walnuts, which are rich in tocopherols, on markers of prostate and vascular health in men at risk for prostate cancer. We conducted an 8-week walnut supplement study to examine effects of walnuts on serum tocopherols and prostate specific antigen (PSA). Subjects (<it>n </it>= 21) consumed (in random order) their usual diet +/- a walnut supplement (75 g/d) that was isocalorically incorporated in their habitual diets. Prior to the supplement study, 5 fasted subjects participated in an acute timecourse experiment and had blood taken at baseline and 1, 2, 4, and 8 h after consuming walnuts (75 g).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>During the timecourse experiment, triglycerides peaked at 4 h, and gamma-tocopherol (γ-T) increased from 4 to 8 h. Triglyceride – normalized γ-T was two-fold higher (<it>P </it>= 0.01) after 8 versus 4 h. In the supplement study, change from baseline was +0.83 ± 0.52 μmol/L for γ-T, -2.65 ± 1.30 μmol/L for alpha-tocopherol (α-T) and -3.49 ± 1.99 for the tocopherol ratio (α-T: γ-T). A linear mixed model showed that, although PSA did not change, the ratio of free PSA:total PSA increased and approached significance (P = 0.07). The α-T: γ-T ratio decreased significantly (<it>P </it>= 0.01), partly reflecting an increase in serum γ-T, which approached significance (<it>P </it>= 0.08).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The significant decrease in the α-T: γ-T ratio with an increase in serum γ-T and a trend towards an increase in the ratio of free PSA:total PSA following the 8-week supplement study suggest that walnuts may improve biomarkers of prostate and vascular status.</p

Translating it into real life: a qualitative study of the cognitions, barriers and supports for key obesogenic behaviors of parents of preschoolers

BACKGROUND: Little is known about preschool parents' cognitions, barriers, supports and modeling of key obesogenic behaviors, including breakfast, fruit and vegetable consumption, sugary beverage intake, feeding practices, portion sizes, active playtime, reduced screen-time, sleep and selection of child-care centers with characteristics that promote healthy behaviors. METHODS: Thus, the purpose of this study was to examine these factors via survey and focus groups among 139 parents of 2- to 5-year-old children. Standard content analysis procedures were used to identify trends and themes in the focus group data, and Analysis of Variance was used to test for differences between groups in the survey data. RESULTS: Results showed 80% of parents ate breakfast daily, consumed sugary beverages 2.7 ± 2.5SD days per week, and had at least two different vegetables and fruits an average of 5.2 ± 1.8SD and 4.6 ± 2.0SD days per week. Older parents and those with greater education drank significantly fewer sugary drinks. Parents played actively a mean 4.2 ± 2.2 hours/week with their preschoolers, who watched television a mean 2.4 ± 1.7 hours/day. Many parents reported having a bedtime routine for their preschooler and choosing childcare centers that replaced screen-time with active play and nutrition education. Common barriers to choosing healthful behaviors included lack of time; neighborhood safety; limited knowledge of portion size, cooking methods, and ways to prepare healthy foods or play active indoor games; the perceived cost of healthy options, and family members who were picky eaters. Supports for performing healthful behaviors included planning ahead, introducing new foods and behaviors often and in tandem with existing preferred foods and behaviors, and learning strategies from other parents. CONCLUSIONS: Future education programs with preschool parents should emphasize supports and encourage parents to share helpful strategies with each other.This item is part of the UA Faculty Publications collection. For more information this item or other items in the UA Campus Repository, contact the University of Arizona Libraries at [email protected]

Dishing up science: Integrated content links history, microbiology, and nutrition

Although public health recommendations encourage educators to include nutrition into the school day to prevent obesity, teachers cite lack of time as a common barrier. Thus, they are often told to integrate nutrition across the curriculum. The purpose of this project was to create an educational program integrating easy-to-demonstrate experiments with lessons illustrating key concepts in microbiology, nutrition, and food history for elementary school groups visiting a museum. Programs were created by researching and developing short lessons with visual aids, hands-on science experiments, handouts, and teacher’s guides that could be used by museum staff. These lessons were aligned with New Jersey elementary school curricula and learning standards. This project illustrated a creative approach to integrating microbiology, nutrition, and history content into the curriculum so that teachers could more easily fit nutrition into the school day

Food Blogs to Family Meals: A Brief Evaluation of Blogs as Resources for Home Cooking During COVID-19

This study examined the quality and healthfulness of articles and recipes on food blogs to inform nurses, other health professionals, and patients using these as resources. Recipes from 50 blogs on Feedspot.com were analyzed for nutrient content and congruency of nutrition information. Of the 178 recipes, 5.6% were low calorie, 7.3% were low in total fat, 15.2% were low sodium, and 89.3% had ≤100 kcal of total sugar. Snack recipes contained significantly less mean sodium (P = .001), and 21% of blogs provided nutrition tips with incongruent or mixed congruency recommendations. Nurses, other health professionals, and consumers should evaluate cooking blogs carefully when using them for nutrition and recipe advice

In search of a better bean: A simple activity to introduce plant biology

Measuring plant stem growth over time is a simple activity commonly used to introduce concepts in growth and development in plant biology (Reid & Pu, 2007). This Quick Fix updates the activity and incorporates a real-world application: students consider possible effects of soil substrate and sunlight conditions on plant growth without needing access to costly supplies. Although written for undergraduates, the activity could be adapted for secondary students. © 2014 by National Association of Biology Teachers. All rights reserved. Request permission to photocopy or reproduce article content at the University of California Press\u27s Rights and Permissions Web site at

“Energize your life” virtually: Lessons learned from online gardening workshops

Virtual gardening classes that started in response to the COVID-19 pandemic continue to attract participants. Little is known about characteristics that improve their effectiveness and enable participants to continue gardening. The purpose of this project was to pilot test a nutrition-focused, virtual container gardening program, obtain feedback on its content and delivery, and identify features that may impact the long-term effectiveness of virtual gardening interventions. Gardening curricula were adapted for a virtual program offering adults five, 1-h sessions. At baseline, participants (n = 12) were very interested in consuming produce (mean score 4.6 ± 1.0 out of 5) and consumed fruit and vegetables at a mean of 2.6 ± 1.4 times/day. There were no significant differences in consumption based on prior gardening experience (p =.6). Participants requested recipes that were inexpensive, quick, and easy to adapt. They suggested resources on storing and preparing produce, garden care, and getting seeds as support. Although the ability to rewatch recorded workshops and participate remotely were convenient, follow-up with asynchronous participants, inadequate lighting, over-watering, indoor pests, and failure of seeds to germinate indoors were challenges. Future work should identify ways to enhance social support and interaction among virtual workshop participants and determine how virtual gardening programs affect produce consumption among those with limited intake

The effects of low fat chocolate milk on postexercise recovery in collegiate athletes

Drinking chocolate milk between exercise sessions may improve recovery. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of low fat chocolate milk vs. a carbohydrate-electrolyte beverage (CE) on recovery between preseason practice sessions among 5 male and 8 female Division III soccer players. The study used a randomized crossover design: between morning and afternoon practices, athletes received either an amount of chocolate milk that provided 1 g carbohydrate per kilogram body weight or an equal volume of CE (mean volume of 615 ± 101 ml). After their afternoon practice, they completed a shuttle run to fatigue. Data were analyzed using the Wilcoxon paired rank-sign test (for shuttle run time) and the paired samples t-test (for dietary intake). No significant differences in run time were reported for the group. For the men only, there was a trend of increased time to fatigue with chocolate milk compared with the CE (exact p = 0.03). Low fat chocolate milk may therefore be as good as a CE at promoting recovery between training sessions during preseason. © 2011 National Strength and Conditioning Association

The Effects of Exercise on Perceived Barriers and Benefits of Exercise by Cancer Survivors Post Treatment

Exercise may be used to attenuate cancer treatment-related side effects. However, the majority of cancer survivors do not participate in regular exercise. Purpose: This study examined changes in fitness parameters as well as perceived exercise benefits and barriers held by post-treatment adult cancer survivors, who participated in a 12-week structured exercise program. Methods: This study used a randomized controlled trial design. Participants were 24 post-treatment adult cancer survivors with various cancer diagnoses. The Exercise Benefits /Barriers Subscale (EBBS) questionnaire was used to evaluate perceived exercise benefits and barriers. Data was analyzed using a mixed-between-within ANOVA. Results: There were no significant differences in the total EBBS score (128.7 ± 23.2 v. 142.6 ± 17.8; p=.20) or the benefits (86.4 ± 17.2 v. 96.3 ± 12.9; p=.31) and barriers subscales (42.3 ± 7.8 v. 46.5 ± 6.1; p=.14). However, those in the exercise group were significantly more likely to respond that exercise participation would not cause fatigue (2.42 ±.90 v. 3.25 ± .45; p=0.04), but may decrease fatigue (3.0 ± .60 v. 3.17 ±.58; p=.03). Conclusion: Among cancer survivors, exercise participation may strengthen the perception that exercise reduces, rather than causes, fatigue