Browsing by Subject "International and Community Nutrition"
Now showing 1 - 7 of 7
- Results Per Page
- Sort Options
Item Dietary Quality In The United States: An Evaluation Of The American Diet Using The Mediterranean Diet Index(2003-12-01) LaFontaine, Laura Jean; Sejong BaeLaFontaine, Laura Jean, Dietary Quality in the United States: An Evaluation of the American Diet Using the Mediterranean Diet Index. Master of Public Health (Epidemiology), December 2003, 69 pp., 10 tables, 3 figures, reference list, 92 titles. Mediterranean Diet Index (MDI) score is positively associated with increased longevity in diverse populations. High scores are characterized by high intake of fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish, and grains; low intake of meat and dairy; moderate alcohol intake; and high monounsaturated to saturated fat ratio. Dietary quality 7,772 individuals ages 2 and older in the NHANES 1999-2000 sample was assessed using the MDI. Mean MDI scores were low overall and across all population groups. Highest mean scores (3.03-3.13) were observed in children 2-3 and adult men; lowest scores (2.76-2.77) were observed in adolescents. High scores were associated with foreign-born status, higher education level, increasing age in adults, and decreasing age in children.Item Does a Community Health Worker Program Work among Latino Communities?(2003-12-01) Medina, Amanda Y.; Hector Balcazar; Claudia S. Coggin; Francisco Soto MasMedina, Amanda Y., Does a Community Health Worker Program Work among Latino Communities? Master of Public Health (Community Health), Dec 2003, 77 pp., 8 tables, 5 illustrations, bibliography, 70 titles. The study’s goal was to investigate if and what makes a community health worker (CHW) education program work among Latino participants. First, the author developed a conceptual model to explain why a CHW program might effectively reach Latino communities. Second, the study tested the effectiveness of a CHW program, Salud Para Su Corazon of North Texas, by examining participants’ self-reported healthy behaviors from before and immediately after education. Third, the study examined potential CHW program components that predicted healthy behavior scores. These findings showed that pledging to the program and positive program evaluations predicted participants’ scores. Past research and theories are in congruent with all these findings.Item Enhancing the Care of the Elderly; An Educational Intervention to Improve Nutritional Knowledge of Nursing Home Staff(1998-06-01) Cummings, Dana; Gilbert Ramirez; Claudia Coggin; Antonio ReneCummings, Dana M., Enhancing the Care of Elderly; an Educational Intervention to Improve Nutritional Knowledge of Nursing Home Staff. Master of Public Health, June 1998, 81 p.p., 5 tables, bibliography, 15 titles. Gross deficiencies exist in the quality and quantity of health care personnel taking care of the aged (Hersch, 1989). Eighty to ninety percent of nursing home staff are untrained aides paid the minimum wage to care for one of the sickest and frailest populations in the United States (Patenaude, 1997). The purpose of this study was to determine if short term nutrition education, utilizing principles for adult learners, would result in knowledge improvement in nursing home staff. An interactive, participatory instructional model was implemented into an existing structure of regular staff inservices to answer this question. To test the effectiveness of the intervention a questionnaire was developed using items from previously validated instruments. Using three nursing homes in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, a total of 157 pre-test and 132 post-test questionnaires were completed. A significant increase in overall knowledge from 80.6% at baseline to 96.1% at post-test was found (p [less than] .001). Participants also showed a significant (p [less than] 0.001) overall increase in knowledge for each of the three learning domains; patient care related to nutrition, food and fluid intake of residents, and eating. These findings suggest that employing short-term education to nursing home staff, using principles for adult learners, can improve nutritional knowledge significantly.Item Enhancing the nutritional status of an older population: an educational intervention to improve the nutrition knowledge of persons over 60 living in a rural Texas community(2002-05-01) Lane, Bridget M.Lane, Bridget M., Enhancing the nutritional status of an older population: an educational intervention to improve the nutrition knowledge of persons over 60 living in a rural Texas community. Master of Public Health (Health Administration), May, 2002, 61 pp., 8 tables, references, 41 titles. A four session nutrition education promotion program was developed and implemented for a group of seniors in a rural Texas community to enhance the nutritional status of persons over 60 through educational intervention to improve nutrition knowledge. Nutrition knowledge was measured using pre-tests and post-tests (before and after short-term nutrition education). No statistically significant differences were observed between pre/post test results, although there was a directional improvement in several aspects of test performance. Nutrition education programs that can effectively translate healthy dietary recommendations into understandable concepts can result in improvements in nutrition knowledge, and possibly have a positive influence on dietary behaviors and health markers.Item Meta-analysis: Effects of Opuntia Species(2000-05-01) Garcia, Anna R.; John Licciardone; Gilbert Ramirez; FongGarcia, Anna R., Meta-analysis: Effects of Opuntia species. Master of Public Health (Epidemiology), May, 2000, 73 pp., 10 tables, 10 figures, references, 62 titles. The Mexican American population is more susceptible to diabetes mellitus due to a number of risk factors. The earliest recorded treatments for diabetes mellitus involved the use of natural plants. Opuntia species are any member of the genus Opuntia of Cactus family and who are native to the Western Hemisphere. In order to determine the efficacy of Opuntia species as a hypoglycemic agent in non-insulin dependent diabetics, a meta-analysis was conducted to analyze the identified studies. In addition, insulin and the presence of a dose-response relationship upon ingestion of Opuntia were investigated. A statistically significant reduction in serum glucose was found after the ingestion of 500 grams of Opuntia species. Additional studies are needed to determine the mechanism of hypoglycemic action and to further investigate the properties of Opuntia species.Item The Mechanism of Agriculture and Health Exploration of Links Between Agricultural Practice and Human Nutrition in Rural China(2008-05-01) Campos-Bower, Monica Haydee; Nuha Lackan; Robert Kaman; Sejong BaeCampos-Bower, Monica Haydee, The mechanism of agriculture and health-Exploration of links between agricultural practice and human nutrition in rural China Doctor of Public Health (Health Management and Policy), May 2008, 73 pp, 9 Tables, 5 Figures, bibliography, 23 titles. Health consequences of nutritional deficiencies remain a concern for more than half of the global population. Agriculture improvement has helped to alleviate nutritional deficiencies, especially among the rural developing world, where populations are more susceptible. In China, approximately 80% of the population lives in rural areas with close to 40% suffering from at least one nutrient deficiency. Current agricultural development projects in China are geared toward enhancing crop nutrition, but more research is needed to determine the relationship between food practices, agricultural diversity and the nutritional health in rural areas. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the direct relationship of agriculture on human health through assessment of agricultural practices and agricultural policy on human health symptoms in rural populations in China. A comparative study was performed on data from the University of North Carolina Population Center-China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) and a case study based on field research in western China. The study demonstrated relationships between agricultural practices with human health symptoms. In addition, agricultural and environmental policies adopted in rural areas did impact ability to engage in agricultural practices as well as diet and human activity among rural households. Future agricultural and environmental policies should consider repercussions of policy effects on community social infrastructure, economy and health and create measures to address these issues.Item The Public Health Impact of Type 2 Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus in Asian Indians, Chinese and Japanese(2001-08-01) Nadkarni, Neetee; Urrutia-Rojas, Ximena; Rene, Antonio; Lurie, SueNadkarni, Neetee A. The Public Health Impact of Type 2 Non-Insulin Diabetes Mellitus in Asian Indians, Chinese and Japanese. Master in Public Health (Community Health), August 2001, 22 pp, 4 tables, bibliography. The prevalence of type 2 non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is increasing in Asians, especially among Asian, Indian, Chinese and Japanese populations. This increase will have a severe impact on the health and well being of these populations. In 1997, a health survey from the World Health Organization (WHO) found numbers of adults with NIDDM in Asian Indians, Chinese and Japanese populations to be first, second and fifth, respectively. According to the National Commisision on Diabetes, “it is not known how the course, the complications and mortality from diabetes among subgroups of the United States population compare with the same factors for persons with diabetes of the same ethnic origin in the homelands”. This review article focuses on the number and prevalence of NIDDM and risk factors contributing to the disease among these Asian sub-populations. This goal of this paper is to provide information to health and medical researchers, practitioners and community planners for use in public health interventions in the United States, India, China and Japan. The results of this paper direct attention to the migrant Asian Indian, Chinese and Japanese populations because the prevalence of NIDDM is increasingly rapid in these groups.