To What Extent Does Posted Nutrition Information in Fast Food Restaurants Influence Consumer Food Choices?

A study of a sample (n=59) of college students at a small, liberal arts university investigated the efficacy of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010’s Section 4205, which necessitated calorie labeling on menus of all restaurants, including fast food establishments, with 20 or more locations. The control group (n=31) of students was presented with popular fast food menu items as they currently appear on the menu, without caloric content or a recommended calorie intake statement. The experimental group (n=28) was presented with the same menu with caloric content and a statement regarding suggested daily intake. Each menu consisted of 26 items presented in color. All survey participants were asked to select items they would typically order for a meal. Participants also completed a survey concerning exercise and types and frequency of fast food restaurants they patronize. In number of calories ordered, no significant data resulted, indicating that no difference in the two groups’ ordering habits existed. This suggested that calorie labeling might not have an impact on consumers’ food selection. However, a trend did appear of males ordering more calories when shown calorie information and females ordering fewer calories when shown caloric information. This research opens avenues for further studies on the psychological and health-related implications of nutrition labeling in restaurants, as well as the differences in responses for males and females

How One Library\u27s Location Change Impacted Health Information Requests: Comparing Zip Codes and Health Disparities to Shape Library Services

Objective In 2014, the Preston Medical Library underwent a radical change, moving from an academic office building to the main floor of a regional medical center. While the library previously served the public, health information requests have substantially increased in volume due to the new location. Each health information request is logged with the subject nature and patron contact information. The objective is: to analyze this data to see if our reach has expanded to counties that previously have not used the service, to see which counties request the most health information, and to ascertain whether more requests are from counties with a higher poverty level. Methods Consumer health request data was downloaded from the library database. First names and other identifying data were removed. The request forms were sorted by county and zip code. For the largest three counties, researchers further sorted by zip code. GIS will be used to create maps, visually showing where the largest concentrations of patrons are located. Requests were reviewed by zip code and county, comparing number of requests as well as poverty levels. Results There were 3,141 health information requests from September 21, 2014 to May 31, 2019. Ninety-nine results were omitted because they were from out-of-state. The majority of requests were from Knox county and adjacent counties. Requests were also received from counties not previously reached and counties with elevated poverty levels. Conclusion Collecting data on patron interactions is not only critical for institutional reporting, but also for community outreach. Understanding that data requires taking additional steps to filter the information, assess local demographics, and customize library services. Researchers anticipate being able to better tailor services to the community based on the results

Climate Change in the Piscataqua/Great Bay Region: Past, Present, and Future

Earth ’s climate changes. It always has and always will. However, an extensive body of scientific evidence indicates that human activities are now a significant force driving change in the Earth’s climate system. This report describes how the climate of the Piscataqua/Great Bay region of coastal New Hampshire in the United States has changed over the past century and how the future climate of the region will be affected by human activities that are warming the planet. Overall, the region has been getting warmer and wetter over the last century, and the rate of change has increased over the last four decades. To generate future climate projections for the region, simulated temperature and precipitation from four general circulation models were fitted to local, long-term weather observations. Unknowns regarding future fossil fuel consumption were accounted for by using two future emissions scenarios. As greenhouse gases continue to accumulate in the atmosphere, temperatures will rise, extreme heat days are projected to occur more often and will be hotter, extreme cold temperatures are projected to occur less often, and cold days will be warmer.. Annual average precipitation is projected to increase 12 to 17% by end-of-century and the region can expect to see more extreme precipitation events in the future. Tidal gauge data indicates relative sea level at Portsmouth has risen 0.7 inches per decade over the past eight decades. Projected sea level rise of 1.7 to 6.3 feet will result in higher storm surges and more frequent flooding in coastal New Hampshire

Revealing the Young Starburst in Haro 3 with Radio and Infrared Imaging

The Wolf-Rayet galaxy Haro 3 (Mrk 35, NGC 3353) was observed at the near-IR and radio wavelengths as part of ongoing program to study the earliest stages of starbursts. These observations confirm that the current episode of star formation is dominated by a single region (region A). While there are knots of recent (~10 Myr) star formation outside of region A, the sources of ionizing radiation as observed in both radio and Br-gamma observations are almost exclusively associated with region A. The derived ionizing flux implies a star formation rate of ~0.6 solar masses per year localized within a radius of ~0.1 kpc. A comparison with observations from HST indicates that one or more of the star clusters in region A are optically obscured. The star clusters in region A have ages at least as young as ~5 Myr, and possibly as young as ~0.1 Myr. The star cluster that appears to be the youngest also exhibits a near-IR excess in its colors, possibly indicating natal dust in very close proximity to the ionizing stars. The difference between optical- and radio-determined ionizing fluxes as well as the near-IR colors indicate an average extinction value of A_V ~2.5 in region A. The total stellar mass associated with the current starburst in region A is inferred from both the near-IR and radio observations to be ~10^6 solar masses. The other main stellar concentrations observed in the near-IR (Regions B1 and B2) are somewhat older than region A, with ages ~8-10 Myr, and the near-IR observations indicate they have stellar masses of ~8x10^4 and ~2x10^4 solar masses, respectively.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, to appear in AJ August 200

Collaborating across Organizations for a Remote Area Medical Event: Providing Consumer Health Information and Assessing Health Literacy

Objective: The University of Tennessee’s Preston Medical Library’s (PML) consumer health information service partnered with local librarians and Remote Area Medical (RAM) to increase consumer health information access as well as assess health literacy levels of RAM attendees. Methods: Librarians contacted RAM and obtained permission to both participate in the Knoxville, TN event and conduct anonymous health literacy assessments using the Newest Vital Sign (NVS) tool. Approval was obtained from PML’s institutional IRB. An email gauging participation interest was sent to local librarians at various institutions. A Zoom meeting was then set up to discuss RAM and participant expectations. A librarian with previous experience of partnering with RAM spoke at the meeting about his experiences and answered questions. Librarians volunteered for specific times so that two people were always at the library’s information table. Results: Ten librarians from across four different academic institutions attended the February RAM event and staffed a table with consumer health information handouts, health information request forms, and other informational materials. 137 people visited the table and 13 filled out health information request forms. Mental health was the subject area most frequently requested. Sixteen participants completed the NVS health literacy assessment tool. Results indicate that the majority of participants likely had adequate health literacy. Conclusions: Participating in the RAM event allowed for collaboration with multiple institutions in the local area, further building relationships for future collaborative efforts. Through participating in the Knoxville RAM event and analyzing collected data, researchers sampled health literacy of RAM attendees and planned more focused consumer health information outreach. Two other RAM events in east Tennessee were cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic; the library will participate in the annual Knoxville RAM event on a continual basis

Our Voices

In declaration, we come together, calling for all who experience the intersection of oppressions to have the opportunity to claim and use their own Voices

Aquatic Therapy Interventions and Disability: A Recreational Therapy Perspective

Aquatic therapy interventions are critical for individuals with disabilities and the role of the therapist is just as critical for successful and effective interventions. The field of therapeutic recreation trains students to develop and implement evidence-based facilitation techniques including the use of aquatic therapy to assist in helping clients achieve a change in functional status. This review of the literature examined the impact of aquatic therapy interventions on a variety of disabilities including osteoarthritis, multiple sclerosis, Cerebral palsy, autism spectrum disorder, and mental health from a recreational therapy (RT) perspective. This review provides a variety of information on the positive benefits that may occur using aquatic therapy for diverse conditions. Examples include relaxation, stretching, and aerobic exercise and each has the ability to improve strength. It does appear that aquatic therapy interventions can provide a wide array of benefits that may reduce the burden associated with a variety of disabilities. These benefits may be useful in increasing the overall quality of life of a diverse group of disabilities. Likewise, due to the nature of RT, recreational therapists are in a unique position to provide plan and develop aquatic therapy interventions. However, it is the authors’ suggestion that those providing this service attend intensive training in order to provide aquatic therapy effectively. Additional research may be necessary to provide a more cohesive understanding of the impact of aquatic therapy on a variety of populations. Nonetheless, the information gleamed from this review, justify that aquatic therapy has benefits for a diverse clientele and thus may be useful in the implementation of RT programs

An Annotated Bibliography on Structural Racism Present in the U.S. Food System, Seventh Edition

The purpose of this annotated bibliography is to provide current research and outreach on structural racism in the U.S. food system for the food system practitioner, researcher, educator, and advocate. Our intention is to update this resource on a recurring basis. We suggest it be used as a companion resource for training or education sessions on structural racism in the food system.This annotated bibliography on selected resources and publications is focused on structural racism in the U.S. food system. Structural racism in the United States has been defined as the "normalization and legitimization of an array of dynamics—historical, cultural, institutional, and interpersonal—that routinely advantage Whites while producing cumulative and chronic outcomes for people of color."

An Avatar-Led Digital Smoking Cessation Program for Sexual and Gender Minority Young Adults: Intervention Development and Results of a Single-Arm Pilot Trial

BACKGROUND: Sexual and gender minority young adults have a high prevalence of smoking and unique barriers to accessing tobacco treatment. OBJECTIVE: To address these challenges as well as their preferences for sexual and gender minority-targeted interventions and digital programs, we developed and evaluated the acceptability, preliminary efficacy, and impact on theory-based change processes of an acceptance and commitment therapy-based digital program called Empowered, Queer, Quitting, and Living (EQQUAL). METHODS: Participants (n=22) of a single-arm trial conducted to evaluate the program were young adults, age 18 to 30 years, who self-identified as sexual and gender minority individuals and smoked at least one cigarette per day. All participants received access to the EQQUAL program. Participants completed web-based surveys at baseline and at a follow-up 2 months after enrollment. We verified self-reported smoking abstinence with biochemical testing; missing data were counted as smoking or using tobacco. RESULTS: For young adults who logged in at least once (n=18), the mean number of log-ins was 5.5 (SD 3.6), mean number of sessions completed was 3.1 (SD 2.6), and 39% (7/18) completed all 6 sessions. Overall, 93% of participants (14/15) were satisfied with the EQQUAL program, 100% (15/15) found it easy to use, and 100% (15/15) said it helped them be clearer about how to quit. Abstinence from smoking or using tobacco was confirmed with biochemical testing for 23% of participants (5/22). Both quantitative and qualitative results suggested a positive overall response to the avatar guide, with areas for future improvement largely centered on the avatar\u27s appearance and movements. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment acceptability of EQQUAL was very promising. The rate of abstinence, which was biochemically confirmed, was 3 times higher than that of the only other digital program to date that has targeted sexual and gender minority young adults and 6 to 13 times higher than those of nontargeted digital smoking interventions among sexual and gender minority young adults. Planned improvements for the next iteration of the program include making the avatar\u27s movements more natural; offering multiple avatar guides with different on characteristics such as race, ethnicity, and gender identity from which to choose; and providing a support forum for users to connect anonymously with peers