Service-Learning in Agricultural Instruction: A Guide for Implementing Real-World, Hands-On, Community Based Teaching and Learning

Service-learning (SL) is defined as a credit-bearing, educational experience in which students participate in an organized service activity that meets identified community needs and reflect on the service activity in such a way as to gain further understanding of course content, a broader appreciation of the discipline, and an enhanced sense of civic responsibility (Bringle and Hatcher, 1995). The service-learning movement has gained tremendous popularity during the past decade in response to visionaries like Boyer (1990), who called for radical change in higher education toward the scholarship of engagement, in which universities engage with communities as equal partners for the continued development of democratic society

Development and Comparison of Two Field-Based Body Fat Prediction Equations: NHANES 1999-2004

International Journal of Exercise Science 5(3) : 223-231, 2012. Clinical guidelines define obesity in terms of excess body weight adjusted for height (i.e., bodymass index [BMI] categories) and/or gender-specific waist circumference (WC) cut-point values. Since body composition, particularly fat mass, is the most variable among individuals due to differences by gender, age, and race, and total percent body fat (%BF) can be estimated accurately using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), the purpose of this study was to develop and compare two field-based body fat prediction equations suitable for a nationally representative sample of the US adult population. Data were analyzed from subjects 20+ years of age (n = 11,907) with BMI and WC values, and that participated in DXA scans as part of the 1999-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Multiple linear regression was used to develop and compare DXA-estimated %BF as the dependent variable versus BMI or WC, gender, age, and race as predictor variables. Mean values for age, BMI, WC, and %BF among the sample were 46.84 ± 0.30 years, 28.17 ± 0.11 kg/m2, 96.69 ± 0.27 cm, and 34.19 ± 0.14 %, respectively. Both equations were similar in terms of explained variance, with R2 values of 0.82 for the BMI and WC equations, respectively. Both equations are easy to use, and could easily be developed as an application on a smartphone or other handheld device, or simply integrated into a spreadsheet for use as an additional tool for health professionals to assess the current health status of individuals based on predicted body fat from BMI, WC, and demographics

Psychometric Analyses of the Motivation to Prepare Healthy Foods Questionnaire Used With Adult College Students

© 2018 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior Objective: To develop and validate a questionnaire to measure adult college students’ motivation to prepare healthy foods based on the psychosocial needs identified by Self-determination Theory. Design: This study used a cross-sectional design. Setting: A major southeastern public university. Subjects: A total of 1,027 free-living adults, aged 18–30 years, were recruited. Data from 997 were analyzed. Variables Measured: The 5 constructs of Self-determination Theory were validated. Analysis: Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, test-retest reliability, confirmatory factor analysis, and respecification analysis were performed. Results: The exploratory factor analysis returned 5 factors with acceptable internal structure. Cronbach α values were.94 for perceived competence,.85 for autonomy support,.87 for intrinsic motivation,.78 for relatedness, and.77 for autonomy. Test-retest reliability coefficients were 0.66–0.79. Confirmatory factor and respecification analyses revealed that the 5-factor structure was an appropriate fit for the data. Conclusions and Implications: More research is needed to test the questionnaire\u27s use in a culinary classroom setting to reaffirm these findings. Future research includes testing the instrument\u27s convergent and discriminant validity, performing differential analyses to generalize its use in a wider adult population, and using it to assess change in motivation as a result of participating in a classroom-based culinary skills-building intervention. Additional confirmatory studies are needed to determine whether using nutrition and kinesiology students in the current study affected construct validity

Construct validation of physical activity surveys in culturally diverse older adults: a comparison of four commonly used questionnaires

The purpose of this study was to establish validity evidence of four physical activity (PA) questionnaires in culturally diverse older adults by comparing self-report PA with performance-based physical function. Participants were 54 older adults who completed the Continuous Scale Physical Functional Performance 10-item Test (CS-PFP10), Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly (PASE), HAMPS Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Adults, Yale Physical Activity Survey (YPAS), and modified Baecke questionnaire. The total PASE score, three outcome scores for the CHAMPS, and three summary indices for the YPAS were significantly correlated with total CS-PFP10 score. The modified Baecke exhibited no correlations with CS-PFP10 scores. The PASE, CHAMPS, and YPAS appear to be the most valid PA self-report questionnaires for culturally diverse older adults

Dietary, Lifestyle, and Health Correlates of Overweight and Obesity in Adults 19 to 39 Years of Age: The Bogalusa Heart Study

Diet and lifestyle factors of young adults and their relationship to health risk factors are understudied. Data from the Bogalusa Heart Study population (n = 1214; 19-39 years; 74.1% white; 60.8% female) were used to study associations of lifestyle, health risk factors, and reported health problems with the National Institutes of Health body mass index (BMI) categories of normal, overweight, and obese. Data from self-reported questionnaires and laboratory measures were evaluated using covariate-adjusted multinomial logistic regression and analysis of covariance, linear trend test, and the Cochran-Armitage trend test. Obese individuals had lower odds of consuming high-fat dairy products (odds ratio [OR] = 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.62-0.96) and fruit/fruit juice/vegetables (OR = 0.83; CI = 0.75-0.93) and had higher odds of consuming hamburgers/sandwiches (OR = 2.81; CI = 1.52-5.20); processed meats (OR = 6.95; CI = 2.20-21.96); and sweetened (OR = 1.20; CI = 1.01-1.43) or diet beverages (OR = 1.27; CI = 1.02-1.58) than those of normal weight. Obese participants also had higher odds of being physically inactive versus being very active (OR = 2.65; CI = 1.64-4.29). Mean serum total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides, apolipoprotein-B, and insulin resistance were higher (P \u3c.05 for all) in the overweight/obese when compared with normal weight individuals. Values were higher in those with higher weight status (linear trend P \u3c.0001 for all). Self-reported health problems also increased with BMI. Interventions to improve diet and physical activity patterns among overweight/obese adults in this age group are needed. © 2012 The Author(s)