Browsing by Subject "obesity"
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Item A Parent-Focused Intervention to Increase Parent Health Literacy and Healthy Lifestyle Choices for Young Children and Families.(2012-07-16) Fleary, SashaHealth literacy affects caregivers' ability to engage in preventive health care behaviors for themselves and their children. Studies suggest that health literacy among low income families needs improvement, and this possibly contributes to disparities in preventive health care rates. Additionally, parents and caregivers may not be able to provide or seek preventive health care for their children because of lack of knowledge and skills to do so effectively. This study designed and piloted an intervention that delivered to parents of young children, 1) health literacy information in an experiential manner, and 2) practical skills to engage their families in healthy lifestyle choices, with the decisions for healthy lifestyle choices being based on the health knowledge provided in the intervention. Specifically, the intervention focused on diet/nutrition, physical activity, sleep hygiene, parenting skills, and mental wellness. The intervention was successful at improving diet/nutrition knowledge at least one month post-intervention and more immediate changes were found for participants' overall beliefs about diet/nutrition, children's vegetable consumption, and parents' fruits and vegetable consumption. Immediate improvements were also found for factual knowledge about physical activity, sleep, and the relationship between mental health and stress. Additionally, the intervention was successful at improving general knowledge and beliefs about sleep, knowledge about the relationship between sleep and health, and knowledge about common childhood sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. The intervention also reduced participants' bedtime interactions with children that are indicative of sleep problems at least one month post-intervention. Future research should conceptualize the intervention as a multiple health behavior intervention and reflect this in the evaluation.Item An Examination of Work to Family Spillover, Family Meal Rituals, and Parenting Styles on Children's Outcome of Obesity(2012-07-16) Roberson, SamuelObesity has been on the rise for several decades in both children and adults. Furthermore, obesity is associated with diseases. Children's environment is suspected to affect children's eating habits and lack of exercise, but the salient aspects of children's environments are still not well understood. The present research addresses the possibility that work to family spillover may disrupt family eating patterns and children's physical activity sufficient enough to cause weight gain. Other researchers have examined the environment of the family in terms of parenting style and family rituals. This literature however has not examined the possible moderating effect of parenting styles on the effects of work to family spillover on children's obesity. The study included a cross-sectional sample of children and adolescents (n = 312) in a Houston study. Participants included both parents (if a father was present in the household) and one child aged either 9-11 or 13-15. Bivariate, multivariate, and logistic regression analyses were performed. Work to family spillover, family meal rituals and parenting styles were found to have a relationship with children obesity measures for both age groups. However, these relationships are less strong when combined into a full model. Only a mothers' work strain was associated with increased odds of having overweight children in the 9-11 age group. Although the relationship between mothers? work strain and mothers' controlling parenting style and obesity-related variables remained significant, there was no evidence that a maternal or paternal parenting style moderates the relationship between work spillover and children obesity measures. Father dinner ritual importance was associated with lower odds of having overweight children among 13-15 year old adolescents. However, findings did not support hypothesis that family meal ritual variables children eating while watching TV, mother eating while watching TV nor Father dinner ritual (all significant in the full model) moderated the positive relationship between mothers work strain and overweight, at-risk for overweight, or healthy weight children for neither age group.Item Attitudes about Food(2012-10-19) Baker, Nicole AlexisApproximately 18% of adolescents are obese. Attitudes about Food is a cross sectional study that seeks to identify lifestyle factors associated with adolescent obesity such as fast food consumption, physical activity, attitudes about fast food, and weight perception. The novel aspect of this study is that it seeks to understand how the respondent perceives the health attitudes and behaviors of their closest friends. Subjects were recruited from four youth organizations for a total of 25 participants between the ages of 12-17 years. Respondents completed a 71 item questionnaire, and height and weight were measured by trained interviewers to calculate BMI. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 19.0), and hypotheses were assessed using correlation coefficients. Obese respondents were more likely than non0obese participants to consume at least three fast food meals in the last week (P < .05). Consuming fast food in the last week of the study was associated with exercising one hour a week or less (P < .01). Agreeing that eating fast food is fun was associated with BMI >= 85th percentile (P < .01). Reporting that friends think eating fast food is healthy was associated with eating fast food three or more times in the last week (P < .04) and exercising one hour a week or less (P < .01). Individuals who reported exercising at least four days a week were likely to agree with the statements "eating fast food will make me fat" (P < .03) and "will increase total fat" (p < .05). Finally, overweight adolescents were more likely to underestimate their weight status compared to normal weight and obese respondents. These findings indicate a clustering of risk factors for obesity. Frequent fast food consumption and infrequent physical activity were associated in the present study which could tip the scales of energy balance. Health professionals could focus on raising awareness of the overall diet quality of adolescents who frequently consume fast food while encouraging healthy, fun alternatives to fast food. Screening for overweight status and eliciting peer support for healthy eating are key elements in reducing adolescent obesity.Item Child and adolescent obesity: A review of community-based approaches to a growing problem(2007-12-01) Katrina Darlene Hall; Laura Rudkin, PhD; M. Kristen Peek, PhD; Elizabeth Reifsnider, PhDThe prevalence of overweight/obesity among adults and children in our society has increased to levels which render it a public health priority. These conditions are known to be causal factors in the onset of many chronic diseases in adulthood, but are now affecting the youth population as well. Though genetics are partially responsible, the increase in prevalence of obesity is more likely due to dietary factors and sedentary behavioral practices.\r\n The purpose of this project is to identify community based programs within the United States and conduct a preliminary assessment of their effectiveness using existing health promotion guidelines. I will identify community approaches that have been initiated and present preliminary self-reported data as to their effectiveness in recruitment, overall results, and compliance with guidelines as outlined by the Human Health Services Department for community based programs. The results of this project should be helpful in the establishment of additional community based programs and possibly provide policy makers with information that will facilitate the creation of more effective programs. The specific aims are as follows:\r\n• Conduct a literature search to identify the established nutritional and physical fitness guidelines that address child or adolescent obesity.\r\n• Conduct a literature search of community based programs from 1990-2006 that used physical activity as a component to reduce or prevent childhood or adolescent obesity. \r\n• Use published review articles to identify the most effective programs that target either prevention of childhood / adolescent obesity or reduction of childhood / adolescent obesity and comment on their use of established guidelines.\r\n\r\n This work identified a number of interventions that targeted both adults and youth. Most studies reported some measure of success, but lacked any definitive replicable results due to design limitations and lack of long-term follow-up. Societal methods to successfully address the issue will require multi-faceted efforts of individuals, families, and institutions at the local, state and national levels.\r\nItem Comparison of the Efficacy of Popular Weight Loss Programs in Sedentary Overweight Women(2014-08-06) Baetge, ClaireThis study compared the efficacy of the Curves? Complete 90-day Challenge (CC), Weight Watchers? Points Plus (WW), Jenny Craig? At Home (JC), and Nutrisystem? Advance Select? (NS) on weight loss, body composition and/or markers of health and fitness in sedentary overweight women. One hundred thirty-three women (47?11 yr, 86?14 kg, 46?5%, 35.4?6 kg/m2) were randomized into CC (n=29), WW (n=29), JC (n=27), NS (n=28), or control (n=20) for 12-wks. Self-recorded food logs (4-d), International Physical Activity Questionnaires, weight, resting energy expenditure (REE), dual energy x-ray absorptiometry, anthropometrics, and fasting blood samples were obtained at 0, 4, 8, & 12 wks. Peak aerobic capacity and muscular strength were measured at 0 and 12 wks. Data were analyzed by ANOVA or MANOVA with repeated measures. Average energy intake was 1,403?427 kcal/day with no differences among groups. CC was the only group with an increase in protein (0.15?0.30, p=0.039) combined with a reduction in carbohydrate (-0.63?0.95 g/kg/day, p=0.005) intake. CC was the only group with a significant increase in total physical activity (3,801?8,668 MET-min/wk, p=0.012) through week 8. All diet groups experienced a decrease in weight (-4.0?4.2 kg, p<0.001), body mass index (-4.0?2.1 kg/m2, p<0.001), waist circumference (-2.7?5.9, p<0.001), and hip circumference (-3.4?4.4 cm, p<0.001), and all maintained REE (0.09?2.0 kcal/kg/day, p=0.008). CC had the greatest decrease in fat mass (-3.8?4.0 kg, p<0.001) and body fat % (-2.7?3.4%, p<0.001) and was the only group that maintained fat-free mass (-0.19?2.00 kg, p=0.631). All groups, except WW, had a decrease in resting heart (-3.0?9.8 bpm, p<0.001). CC was the only group with a decrease in systolic (-7.6?14.2, p=0.002) and diastolic blood pressure (-3.6?7.3 mmHg, p=0.045). CC had the greatest increase in peak aerobic capacity (2.5?2.9 ml/kg/min, p<0.001) and was the only diet group that increased in lower (15.0?21.9 p=0.001) and upper body (8.7?12.5% p=0.001) strength. CC trended toward a decrease in total cholesterol to HDL-cholesterol ratio (-4.9?11.3%, p=0.053). Though all diet groups lost weight and had improvements in anthropometrics, CC experienced greater improvements in body composition, blood pressure, peak aerobic capacity, and muscular strength and trended toward improvements in blood lipid ratios.Item Diabetes and obesity as risk factors for the development of Hepatocellular carcinoma in the hispanic population(2008-12-08) Sathya Jaganmohan; Gagan Sood; Karen SzauterHepatocellular carcinoma is the fifth most prevalent cancer in the world with an overall 5-year survival rate of 6.9%. The well known etiological factors for HCC are infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV), alcohol abuse and environmental exposure to aflatoxins. The prevalence and mortality from HCC is rising in the U.S. In the U.S, Hispanics have a 2.7 times higher risk for HCC development than non-Hispanic whites and the highest mortality rate next to Asian population. The reason for this increased HCC risk in Hispanics is unknown. While it is conceivable that this disparity could be secondary to the incidence of hepatitis or alcohol abuse in the Hispanic population, the primary objective of this study was to evaluate other non-conventional risk factors in Hispanics such as diabetes and obesity. Diabetes and obesity are widespread health problems in the Hispanic population. Diabetes and obesity are known to predispose to the development of fatty liver disease resulting in Non Alcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH) and cirrhosis. Primary liver cancer is about 4 times more likely in diabetic patients than non diabetics. Increasing BMI has also been shown to increase cancer risk and HCC risk. There is recent evidence suggesting diabetes and obesity not only accelerate the development of fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis, but also promote the molecular carcinogenesis of HCC. \r\nMy hypothesis is that, after controlling for traditionally recognized risk factors, an increased incidence of diabetes and obesity in the Hispanic population plays a causative role in the development of HCC. Using local inpatient and outpatient hospital data, a retrospective case control study was conducted with Hispanic patients afflicted with HCC as cases and patients with cirrhosis grouped as controls. A total of 63 cases and 98 controls were identified. The mean age of controls 52.28 and cases was 57.34. The mean BMI was 29.66 for controls and 28.78 for cases. 20 patients with HCC and 33 patients in the control group had been diagnosed with diabetes.\r\nUnivariate analysis did not show an increase in the odds of HCC development in patients with diabetes or obesity. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was then performed to control for various confounding factors. The adjusted odds ratio for diabetes as predictor for HCC development was 0.74 with CI (0.34-1.61) and was 0.80 for obesity with CI (0.35- 1.77). Neither diabetes nor obesity was a statistically significant factor in predicting the development of HCC in the Hispanic population. The results are subject to usual limitations of a retrospective study. Large prospective cohort studies are required to accurately determine the effect of diabetes and obesity on HCC risk in the Hispanic population.\r\nItem Dietary, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behaviors and Their Relationship to Weight Gain in a College Age Population(2012-10-19) Lee, Faegen DillonWeight gain affects all living beings and excessive weight gain can lead to obesity and comorbidities linked to obesity. In order to better understand how the college student population gains weight and increase in BMI, data collected under the Council of Environment and Dietary Activity (CEDA) at Texas A&M University was examined and analyzed in order to understand how physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary activity affect weight gain or weight loss. The college population was divided into BMI categories, gender, and where they lived on campus at Texas A&M University. The data shows that physical activity was associated with loss of weight and BMI in females. Sedentary behavior was associated with weight gain in males but also weight loss in females. Meat consumption was associated with weight gain in males. Fish consumption was associated with weight loss in females. Pastries consumption was associated with weight gain in females. Physical activity appeared to have a stronger effect on weight than dietary behavior even though both can interact to affect weight for females. Speed of service and location have a significant effect on where students would eat. In conclusion, physical activity and sedentary activity have an effect on weight and BMI. Diet can also have an effect on weight and BMI. More specifically, sugar snacks affect weight in females and meat affects weight and BMI in males. However, physical activity appears to have a larger on weight and BMI than diet. Location also affects where a student will eat.Item Effects of Exercise and Diet- induced Weight Loss in Overweight/Obese Women on Characterization of Serum/White Blood Cells, microRNAs and Cytokine Gene Transcription(2013-12-11) Simbo, Sunday YamoThis study examined the effects of exercise and diet-induced weight loss on markers of inflammation in obese females. Forty-nine obese women (age 48.2?10.5 years, height 63.5?2.7cm; weight 203.3?30.5 kg; BMI 35.6?5.6 kg/m^(2); 45.9?4.4 % body fat) completed a 12-week study (exercise group (EX): n=29; control group (C): n=20). Participants followed an energy-restricted diet (1,200 kcal/d for 1-week and 1,500 kcal/d for 11 weeks; 30% CHO, 45% P, and 25% F) while participating in a 30-min circuit resistance-training (3 days/wk) and 30 min walking program on non-workout days. DEXA body composition, fitness, and serum/white blood cells samples were obtained at 0, 4, 8 and 12 wks. The expression of microRNA (21 and 146a) and the expression levels of IL-6, TNF-?, (PTEN, TRAF6)/PI3k/AKT/NF-kB were measured by real-time RT-PCR at 0 and 12 wks. Data were analyzed by MANOVA and presented as changes from baseline after 12 wks for the EX and C groups. Overall MANOVA analysis revealed a significant time effect (p=0.004) and group x time effect (p=0.004) for body composition measures. Participants in the EX group experienced significant changes in body weight (EX -4.0?4.4 kg; C 0.1?3.0 kg, p=0.001), fat mass (EX -3.8?4.0 kg; C -0.03?2.0 kg, p<0.001), and percent body fat (EX -2.7?3.4%; C -0.1?1.7%, p=0.002). Overall MANOVA analysis revealed a significant time effect (p<0.001) and group x time effect (p=0.003) for measures of fitness. Overall significant MANOVA interaction was observed among EX and C groups (Wilks? Lambda p<0.001) on markers of inflammation. Significant interactions were observed among groups in microRNA 21 (EX -1.5?2.34; C 0.13?2.2, p=0.03), mRNA expression levels of PTEN (EX -4.5?3.2; C -1.6?3.4, p=0.005), IL-6 (EX -2.8?3.6; C 2.8?2.2, p=0.00); and, TNF-? (EX -0.52?2.5; C 2.3?1.9, p=0.00). Changes in microRNA (21 and 146a) were positively and significantly correlated to body weight, total weight, fat mass, and body fat percent, with circulatory levels of IL-6 and TNF-?. Results indicate that 12-wks of participation in an exercise and weight loss program significantly affects microRNA 21 and its target gene PTEN, mRNA TNF-?, and mRNA IL-6 levels suggesting an anti-inflammatory response compared to a control group.Item Essays on Applied Economics and Econometrics: Decadal Climate Variability Impacts on Cropping and Sugar-sweetened Beverage Demand of Low-income(2014-12-10) Jithitikulchai, TheepakornThis dissertation examines the economic impacts of ocean-related climate variability on U.S. crops and the effect sweetened beverage taxes would have on beverage consumption among low income food assistance program participants. The first essay estimates the effect of decadal climate variability (DCV) on crop yield, output, and revenue distribution moments controlling for temporal and spatial heterogeneity. The second essay estimates a demand system for beverages and the consumption effects of taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). The DCV analysis endeavors to advance the literature by econometrically estimating the impacts of these climate phenomena on crops. The estimation is done developing an empirical model that combines the direct and indirect effects of DCV. The direct DCV effects are estimated with skew-normal regression, allowing effects on skewness. The indirect DCV effects on crops are passed through regional hydro-meteorological variables such as temperature, precipitation, drought, and rainfall intensity. This study provides evidence that DCV phase combinations are related to the regional changes in temperature, precipitation, and extreme events and that this alters crop yields, output, and revenue across the United States. In turn adaptations are examined and we find DCV information could help farmers profitably alter crop mixes. For the sugar-sweetened beverage investigation this study examines the demand elasticities of beverage purchases among low-income households participating in federal food assistance programs. Using scanner data from a New England supermarket chain with 3.8 million product-level purchases by over 47,000 households, we aggregate them by store level and month. We estimate a demand system model for eleven non-alcoholic beverages for different payment types. Our results suggest that an excise tax would be an effective means to reduce SSB consumption and increase healthier beverage purchases among low-income households.Item Essays on Healthy Eating and Away from Home Food Expenditures of Adults and Children(2011-02-22) Campbell, Benjamin LouisHealthy eating and food away from home expenditures are gaining increasing notoriety within the U.S. These issues are not only a concern for businesses, but governmental policy makers have also shown interest in both increasing nutrition for children and better understanding the behaviors of those consuming food away from home. For this reason, a large amount of research has been devoted to better evaluating the effects of various governmental programs on nutrition, with an equal amount of work detailing which groups are eating away from home. The methodologies employed by past research have varied, as have the results and inferences that have been drawn. For this reason, we incorporated new methodologies, consistent with theory, in order to explain the effects of an important governmental program, National School Lunch Program, on childhood nutrition. We further established consumer profiles and the effects of transactional variables, previous away from home behavior, and decision structure on food away from home expenditures. In regards to the National School Lunch Program we found that meal nutritional quality is not higher for program participants, however, overall intake for most vitamins, minerals, and other dietary components is higher compared to non-participants that attend a school which participates in the program. The reason for increased intake is due to the increased consumption of food for participants, not due to food quality. Furthermore, comparing children that participate in the program to those attending schools that do not participate indicates that both quality and quantity are insignificantly different. Examination of blood levels and healthy eating measures indicates few differences among the treatment groups. Evaluating the effect of transactional variables and previous purchase behavior on food away from home expenditures by meal occasion indicates both play a significant role. Transactional variables consist of factors that are directly related to a meal, e.g. facility type, means of ordering, and age structure of meal participants. The effect of transactional variables is highly dependent on the variable being considered. Previous purchase behavior displays expected results with regards to past participation effects, however, past expenditure effects tended to increase spending on future meals with results being somewhat consistent across large meals. Transactional variables were also evaluated to determine their effect on food away from home expenditures by facility type. A new decision structure chronology was also implemented. Past research has focused on modeling the decision process as either a two or three-step process. The two-step structure is usually defined as the "participation at facility type" and "expenditure level" decisions, whereas the three-step structure is defined by the "participation," "facility type," and "expenditure level" decisions. We, however, propose a change to the three-step decision structure which we believe more adequately defines the decision chronology. We, therefore, model the three-step decision structure in the following order: "participation," "expenditure level," and "facility type." Results showed that both the new decision structure and transactional variables are important to the expenditure amounts and who is eating away from home at each facility type.Item Health disparity and the built environment: spatial disparity and environmental correlates of health status, obesity, and health disparity(2009-05-15) Kim, Eun JungIncreasing evidence suggests that the environment is related to many public health challenges. Unequal distributions of services and resources needed for healthy lifestyles may contribute to increasing levels of health disparity. However, empirical studies are not sufficient to understand the relationship between health disparity and the built environment. This dissertation examines how health disparity are associated with the built environment and if the environmental conditions that support physical activity and healthy diet are associated with lower health disparity. This research uses a multidisciplinary approach, drawing from urban planning, regional economics and public health. The data came from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, and the GIS derived environmental data and the 608-respondent survey data from a larger study conducted in urbanized King County, Washington. Health disparity was measured with the Gini-coefficient, and health status and obesity were used as indicators of health. Hot spot analysis was used to identify the spatial aggregations of high health disparity, and multiple regression models identified the environmental correlates of health disparity. The overall trend showed that disparity has increased in most states in the US over the past decade and the southern states showed the highest disparity levels. Strong spatial autocorrelations were found for disparities, indicating that disparity levels are not equally distributed across different geographic areas. From the multivariate analyses estimating disparity levels, spatial regression models significantly improved the overall model fit compared to the ordinary least-square models. Areas with more supportive built environments for physical activity had lower health disparities, including proximity to downtown (+) and access to parks (+), day care centers (+), offices (+), schools (+), theaters (+), big box shopping centers (-), and libraries (-). Overall results showed that the built environment, compared to the personal factors, was more strongly correlated with health disparities. This study brings attention to the problem of health disparity in the US, and provides evidence supporting the existence of spatial disparity in the environmental support for a healthy lifestyle. Further research is needed to better understand environmental and socioeconomic conditions associated with health disparity among more diverse population groups and in different environmental settings.Item Investigating the molecular biology of aging and extended longevity: Proteomic and genomic analysis of mouse liver(2005-11-05) William H. Boylston; John Papaconstantinou, Ph.D.; Steven G. Widen, Ph.D.; Philip T. Palade, Ph.D.; Pamela L. Larsen, Ph.D.; Jeffrey P. Rabek, Ph.D.; Giulio Taglialatela, Ph.D.Recent advances in molecular gerontology have provided important clues about the fundamental biology of the aging process including the role of oxidative stress and the genetic basis of longevity. Progressive accumulation of oxidative damage to macromolecules is thought to underlie the aging-associated decline in physiologic function characteristic of the senescent phenotype. Mitochondria are a major intracellular source of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, other organelles are also endogenous sources of oxyradicals and oxidants that can damage macromolecules. This investigation examines the relationship between aging and oxidative damage to ER resident proteins, which exist in a strongly oxidizing environment necessary for disulfide bond formation. In these studies, young and aged mouse liver homogenates were separated into enriched sub-cellular fractions, and the ER/mitochondrial fraction was resolved by 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and then assayed for oxidative damage as indicated by protein carbonylation. MALDI/TOF analysis and N-terminal sequencing of these proteins identified BiP/Grp78, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI), and calreticulin as exhibiting a specific age-associated increase in carbonyl content. This increase in oxidative damage to critical ER proteins in aged liver strongly indicates an impairment in protein folding, disulfide cross-linking, and glycosylation which may significantly contribute to the functional decline observed in aging liver.\r\nProviding evidence for the genetic basis of aging, several murine models demonstrate that longevity can be increased by mutations affecting endocrine signaling, particularly via the GH/IGF-1 axis. In this investigation of long-lived GH/IGF-1-deficient mice, characteristic patterns of hepatic gene expression in Pit1dw/dwJ dwarf mice were revealed. Comparative microarray analysis of young and aged male livers was utilized to identify specific genes differentially expressed in Pit1dw/dwJ mice. Further examination of both male and female livers by real-time RT-PCR demonstrated striking transcriptional differences in Pit1dw/dwJ mice comprised of genes regulating cholesterol biosynthesis, fatty acid utilization, and lipoprotein metabolism. Affecting global energy homeostasis, this programmatic shift in hepatic expression may contribute to longevity by influencing bioenergetic and oxidative reactions occurring within mitochondria, ER, and peroxisomes. Intriguingly, these long-term patterns in metabolic gene expression in Pit1dw/dwJ livers mirror many transcriptional changes induced by caloric restriction and fasting, further implicating energy metabolism in longevity.\r\nItem Linking Household Food Inventories with Dietary Recalls to Examine the Association between Nutrient Availability and Dietary Intake among Mexican-origin Children who Reside in Texas Border Region Colonias(2012-10-19) Hutchinson, Jennifer BeckerThe purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between household food inventories (HFI) and dietary recalls among Mexican-origin children (ages 6-11 years old) who reside in Texas border region colonias. Household food availability is a known influence upon children's diets; however, this population faces unique influences upon children's dietary intake and household food availability may not exhibit the same influence upon children's dietary intake that it does in other areas of the United States. This study utilized promotoras (community healthcare workers native to the Texas border region) to collect data from participants due to their rapport with residents of the community. These promotoras collected a series of surveys, HFI's and 24-hour dietary recalls with each mother-child dyad participant. Data from the HFI-s and 24-hour recalls were entered into the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R) from the University of Minnesota and the nutrient profiles for each were analyzed. The HFI data was then adjusted for household composition to obtain a more accurate representation of what nutrients are available to each specific member of the household. After analysis, participant children reported living in households with 5.7 adults and children (range 3-10). All children participated in school breakfast and lunch programs. Age- and gender-specific body mass index (BMI) percentiles indicated that 42% were considered overweight or obese. Lower food security was associated with greater energy, total sugar, and added sugar intakes. The largest correlations between HFI's and 24-hour intakes were for total protein, total sugar, sodium, and added sugar. Sodium was the only nutrient with a significant correlation between household availability and children's dietary intake. HFI was independently associated with greater intake of sodium and lower intakes of total sugar and added sugar. Results show a relationship between household food availability and children's dietary intake. However, at the nutrient level, this association is only statistically significant for sodium and almost significant for total sugar. Colonia children are likely eating many meals outside of the home; the traditional HFI might not be useful in determining what foods are available for these children to eat.Item Predictors of Psychological Health among Rural-Residing African Americans(2012-10-19) Cook, HeleneThe current study examined whether obesity contributed significantly to the prediction of depression and health status independent of other relevant factors such as sex, age, and perceived racism in a sample of 198 African Americans residing within a predominantly rural region. Hierarchical regression indicated that even after controlling for important demographic variables, obesity was predictive of higher depression scores as measured by the PHQ9. Additionally, obesity was identified as a significant predictor of health status, such that heavier individuals rated their general health status more poorly than their normal weight peers. Rural respondents did not differ significantly from their metropolitan counterparts. Major predictors of age, sex, perceived racism, and body mass index exerted an adverse effect on the poor, overweight, and individuals who perceived a greater degree of racism and had different effects on age, depression, and health status. Differences may be suggestive of protective factors that mitigate effects of these major predictors.Item Protein Degradative Processes Associated with Anabolic Dysregulation in Diabetic Skeletal Muscle(2014-05-19) Perticone, Jacqueline IleneSkeletal muscle of obese Zucker rats function at higher rates of anabolism when compared to lean littermates, and are resistant to the anabolic effect of exercise. We recently determined that DEP domain containing mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR)-interacting protein (DEPTOR), a potent negative binding partner of mTOR, is reduced in skeletal muscle of diabetic rats, suggesting that regulation of this protein may participate in the altered protein metabolism. The purpose of this investigation was to assess key regulators of DEPTOR expression, RING-box protein 1 (Rbx1) and beta-transducin repeat-containing protein (?-TrCP), in gastrocnemius muscle of rats with or without type 2 diabetes, with or without in vivo resistance exercise. We hypothesized that the reduced expression of DEPTOR would be accompanied by altered expression of Rbx1 and/or ?-TrCP. Tissues from thirty male Zucker rats (16 lean [L], 14 obese [F]) collected from previous studies were used for this investigation. Rats were subsequently assigned to sedentary ([S]; 8 LS, 6 FS) or resistance exercise ([E]; 8 LE, 8 FE) groups. Exercised rats participated in four progressive bouts, with increasing repetitions and loads, over 8 days. Results indicate that DEPTOR mRNA levels were consistent with previously reported protein levels, with reduced content in LE compared to LS (p<0.05) and obese groups (FS and FE) not different than LE (p>0.05). ?-TrCP protein levels were not affected by exercise, but were higher (39%) in obese compared to lean animals; whereas, ?-TrCP mRNA content was 113% greater in FE compared to FS (p<0.05). There was a main effect of resistance exercise on Rbx1 protein content, where exercised animals had 30% lower levels of protein than sedentary animals. Further analysis revealed that Rbx1 protein content was suppressed by exercise in lean animals only (49% lower). A main effect of exercise was also observed for Rbx1 mRNA, where exercised animals displayed 47% higher levels than sedentary animals (p<0.05). In conclusion, we speculate that the heightened anabolic function in obese animals may be partly due to increased protein levels of ?-TrCP, which may lead to suppressed DEPTOR levels and unrestricted mTOR activity. Additionally, the ?-TrCP /DEPTOR interaction may be a key culprit for the reported resistance to anabolic stimuli in diabetic skeletal muscle.Item Survey of obesity-related programs in Galveston County Public Schools: A pilot study(2008-04-21) Jon R Gray; Laura Rudkin, PhD; Elizabeth Reifsnider, PhD; Dana Beckham, DVMChildhood and adolescent obesity has developed into a major public health concern in the United States. The overweight and obesity rates of our children continue to rise and have been increasing dramatically for over 40 years. The rising health concerns coupled with alarming increases in health care expenditures related to obesity has caused the government to take action. The goal of this Capstone is twofold: The first is to determine what the minimal requirements for public school programs related to obesity are as set by Texas State Law. The second is to explicate what the select population of Galveston County schools of interest is actually doing. Programs that will be included are those related to physical activity, physical and health education and nutrition. By identifying and cataloging current program use and implementation as well as examining laws and their execution in the population of interest, determinations can be made regarding efficacy of these statutes and programs as they pertain to obesity in school-aged children.Item The Influence of the Built Environment on Poor Hispanic Youth(2011-02-22) Zhou, LeiMany studies have examined the relationship between youth physical activity and their built environment. However, most of them used subjective measurement tools to measure built environment because of their low cost and convenience. The application of geographic information system (GIS) in this study greatly supported the research in this field because it can provide more detailed objectively measured data of built environment. Three hundred and thirty-eight Hispanic low-income youth enrolled in a local San Antonio Youth Center program participated in the study. The first study examined the association between youth's household income, and the availability and accessibility of recreational and utilitarian facilities. Results indicated that youth from low income families had longer distances to and less available number of recreational and utilitarian facilities within their neighborhoods. The second study focused on nutrition environmental features, such as, availability and accessibility of fast food outlets and supermarkets. Findings suggested that the average distance to supermarkets was almost two times that of fast food restaurants. These results indicated that participants need to walk more to access a supermarket compared to the closest fast food restaurant. On the whole, supermarkets were less accessible compared to fast food restaurants for the participants in the study area. The third study provided some important supplements to the first two studies by examining both features related to physical activity and dietary behavior with youth's BMI. Results indicated that the available number (availability) of physical activity- and food-related facilities contributed significantly to youth BMI. Lower BMI was related to more available utilitarian (e.g., shopping malls), recreational facilities (e.g., parks) and some food stores (e.g., supermarkets). This study indicated that youth's individual features (e.g., age and SES) had some associations with their health conditions (e.g., BMI) and built environments (e.g., accessibility and availability of facilities and food outlets). These results may provide some evidence to improve the understanding of the relationship between individual, environmental, and social characteristics, which may be useful to promote children and adolescent health behaviors (e.g., physical activity and eating behavior) in public health.Item Weight Perception Discrepancy Among Ethnically Diverse Youth(2012-10-19) Cromwell, Kate DuncanWeight perception discrepancy, the difference between a person?s medically classified weight status and their weight status as classified by their body mass index, is a growing problem. Such misperceptions of weight may be a barrier to treatment for weight-related health conditions. Youth who are overweight, but do not feel they are, may be less likely to initiate treatment which places them at a higher risk for many obesity related health conditions. Similarly, youth who are underweight, but do not feel they are, may be at risk for negative health conditions. Social Comparison Theory may provide a tool for evaluating identified discrepancies. Given that minorities have higher obesity rates, it is hypothesized that weight perception discrepancy is higher among these groups as the comparison is with a heavier than normal peers it may be skewed. This study used the Center for Disease Control?s Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System from 2009 to evaluate weight perception discrepancy among Caucasian, African American and Latino youth. Multinomial logistic regression was used to evaluate discrepancies between these groups. Findings indicated that weight perception discrepancy varied by both gender and ethnicity. Females were more likely to over-estimate their weight category and Latino and African American males were more likely to under-estimate their weight category. Caucasian males were used as the comparison group for all estimations. Social Comparison Theory may provide a plausible explanation for the weight perception discrepancy differences identified for both minorities and females.