Browsing by Subject "Diet quality"
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Item Factors affecting pronghorn fawn recruitment in central Arizona(2005-05) McDonald, Daniel T.; Ballard, Warren B.; Vos Jr., James C. d.; Wallace, Mark C.Over the past 15 years, pronghorn (Antilopcapra americana) populations appear to have declined in Arizona. Recruitment of fawns into the population rather than adult mortality tends to be the primary determinant of populations in Arizona. The purpose of this study was to examine some factors which may affect differences between pronghorn fawn: doe ratios on the two ranches. Our goal was to determine if nutrition was adequate to support pronghorn and provide favorable conditions for survival and recruitment. This study was part of a statewide evaluation of factors affecting pronghorn fawn recruitment, including predator abundance, nutrition, fawn hiding cover, disease, and water availability throughout pronghorn habitat in Arizona. We studied forage production, and diets of pronghorn during 2003 and 2004 on 2 study sites in central Arizona. Diet composition (microhistological analysis of fecal samples) and selection relative to availability were investigated during gestation and lactation. Forage production during 2003-2004 ranged from 9-304 kg/ha. Forbs made up a major percentage of the biomass in 2003, whereas grasses made up the majority in 2004. Forbs made up 60-69 percent of the diets during gestation and lactation. Grasses were eaten in small quantities during both sampling periods. Browse consumption increased as forbs dried up during lactation. Pronghorn showed selected for forbs and avoided grasses on both study sites. Diet composition was similar on both study sites. Fawn recruitment during our study increased from year 1 to year 2. It appeared that forage conditions during our study were favorable for fawn recruitment.Item Factors affecting pronghorn fawn recruitment in central Arizona(Texas Tech University, 2005-05) McDonald, Daniel ThroopOver the past 15 years, pronghorn (Antilopcapra americana) populations appear to have declined in Arizona. Recruitment of fawns into the population rather than adult mortality tends to be the primary determinant of populations in Arizona. The purpose of this study was to examine some factors which may affect differences between pronghorn fawn: doe ratios on the two ranches. Our goal was to determine if nutrition was adequate to support pronghorn and provide favorable conditions for survival and recruitment. This study was part of a statewide evaluation of factors affecting pronghorn fawn recruitment, including predator abundance, nutrition, fawn hiding cover, disease, and water availability throughout pronghorn habitat in Arizona. We studied forage production, and diets of pronghorn during 2003 and 2004 on 2 study sites in central Arizona. Diet composition (microhistological analysis of fecal samples) and selection relative to availability were investigated during gestation and lactation. Forage production during 2003-2004 ranged from 9-304 kg/ha. Forbs made up a major percentage of the biomass in 2003, whereas grasses made up the majority in 2004. Forbs made up 60-69 percent of the diets during gestation and lactation. Grasses were eaten in small quantities during both sampling periods. Browse consumption increased as forbs dried up during lactation. Pronghorn showed selected for forbs and avoided grasses on both study sites. Diet composition was similar on both study sites. Fawn recruitment during our study increased from year 1 to year 2. It appeared that forage conditions during our study were favorable for fawn recruitment.Item Motivations to eat as a predictor of weight status and dietary intake in low-income, minority women in early postpartum(2009-05) Cahill, Jodi Marie; Freeland-Graves, Jeanne H.The purpose of this research was to develop, validate, and test an instrument to evaluate motivations to eat in low-income women during the early postpartum period. The instrument was also used in a sample of young college women to further validate the measure and explore determinants of eating in this population. In study 1, the Eating Stimulus Index was validated in 179 low-income women in early postpartum. Validity and reliability were determined via principal components analysis, internal consistency reliability, and test-retest reliability using a subgroup of 31 low-income new mothers. The factor analysis produced an eight factor structure with reliability coefficients ranging from 0.54-0.89. Convenience eating (r=-0.25, P<0.01), emotional eating (r=-0.17, P<0.05), and dietary restraint (r=-0.21, P<0.01) were significantly related to weight status. In study 2, the relationship between eating motivations and diet quality, determined via the Dietary Guidelines Adherence Index, was established in 115 low-income women in early postpartum. High diet quality was related to fruit and vegetable availability (r=0.25, P<0.01), convenience eating resistance (r=-0.36, P<0.001), and vegetable taste preference (r=0.23, P<0.05). Motivations to eat differed between overweight and obese women with the primary motivation being convenience eating and taste, respectively. In study 3, determinants of weight loss were examined in 58 low-income women in early postpartum participating in an 8-week weight loss intervention. Participants were evaluated at pre- and post-study for all measures. Factors related to weight loss included increases in dietary restraint, weight management skills, and weight loss self-efficacy and decreases in fruit juice servings, total energy, and discretionary energy intakes. After hierarchical regression analysis, improvement in weight loss self-efficacy was the most significant determinant (β=0.263, P<0.05) followed by decreases in discretionary energy intake (β=-0.241, P<0.05). In study 4, determinants of diet quality were assessed in a sample of 88 young college women using the Eating Stimulus Index. Low diet quality was associated with poor fruit and vegetable availability, convenience eating resistance, vegetable taste preference, and weight management self-efficacy, while high diet quality was related to increased frequency of meals prepared at home and decreased frequency of meals consumed at fast food restaurants.Item Test-retest reliability and validity of the feeding your preschooler questionnaire for low-income Hispanic populations(2009-08) Loyo, Jennifer Joleen; Gottlieb, Nell H.; Holahan, Carole K.This methods-oriented dissertation focuses on the psychometric evaluation of the Feeding Your Preschooler Questionnaire (FYPQ) designed to assess the eating habits and diet quality of young children. Parental proxy reports (n=135) were obtained through pen and pencil administration of the FYPQ and an in-person interview using a 24- hour food recall (24HR).Test-retest reliability (n=82) was determined using a repeated measures design with Wilcoxon signed rank tests and Spearman correlations for the food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) portion of the survey, parental self-efficacy, parental role modeling, parental practices, and parental perception of child food preference regarding fruits and vegetables scales. Test-retest reliabilities ranged from r=.53 for water to r=.84 for vegetables for the FFQ and from r=.64 for role modeling to r=.71 for parental perception of child preference for the psychosocial measures. Concurrent construct validity (n=107) was examined with a cross-sectional study design using the Wilcoxon signed rank test, Spearman correlations, and cross-classification analysis into quartiles of food group intakes. Spearman’s correlations between the FFQ and the 24HR were .46 for milk, .22 for fruit, .22 for vegetables, .11 for grains and .07 for protein. Cross-classification analysis revealed that 29% of children were classified in the same quartile and 69% in the same or within one quartile, and gross misclassification ranged from 2% to 10%. Nomological validity was examined using weighted least squares regression. Two regression analyses with fruit and vegetable intake on first the FFQ and second the 24HR as the dependent variable examined the influences of psychosocial environmental predictors and food insecurity. The FFQ regression model explained 28% (p<.05) of the variance in fruit and vegetable intake, with the significant predictors of parental role modeling and food insecurity. The 24HR regression analysis predicting fruit and vegetable intake explained 11% (p<.05), with parental perception of child preference and parental role modeling as significant predictors. In summary, the FYPQ demonstrated good test-retest reliability. The study provides evidence of concurrent validity for the FFQ for assessment of milk consumption and fruit and vegetable variety in preschool children's diets and of nomological validity in the prediction of fruit and vegetable consumption.