scholarly journals Dietary Quality May Play a Role in Classroom Engagement

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 504-504
Author(s):  
Fiona Asigbee ◽  
Reem Ghaddar ◽  
Amy Hoover ◽  
Matthew Landry ◽  
Sarvenaz Vandyousefi ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Classroom time on task (TOT) is positively associated with academic performance. Studies have found a relationship between dietary intake and cognitive performance. This study aimed to examine the association of dietary quality with TOT. Methods Data were obtained from 3rd–5th grade students participating in TX Sprouts—a large, school-based gardening, nutrition, and cooking randomized controlled trial. Measures collected included: height, weight, and body composition via bioelectrical impedance. We assessed dietary intake via two, 24-hr dietary recalls, TOT via four, 15-min direct observations sessions, and dietary quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2015). On-task behavior was defined as any verbal or physical behavior that followed the classroom rules or followed instructions given by the teacher. Off-task behavior was defined as any actions whereby a student was disengaged or distracted from the assigned task. Multilevel mixed-effects modeling was used to determine the association of HEI on TOT, controlling for school, class, sex, grade level, child ethnicity/race, BMI category, economically disadvantage status, and day of the week. Results The analytic sample was comprised of 478 participants (mean age 9.4 years; 53.0% male; 59.2% Hispanic; 54.2% normal weight; 64.5% FRL). Students with higher TOT scores consumed more total vegetables (b = 1.60, SE = 0.35, P < 0.01), more seafood and plant proteins (b = 0.85, SE = 0.26, P < 0.01), and more fatty acids (b = 0.72, SE = 0.17, P < 0.01) when compared to their counterparts. Similarly, those with higher TOT scores consumed less sodium (b = 0.55, SE = 0.16, P < 0.01), less refined grains (b = 0.32, SE = 0.14, P < 0.05), less added sugar (b = 1.15, SE = 0.19, P < 0.01), and less saturated fats (b = 0.35, SE = 0.15, P < 0.05) when compared to other students. Conclusions Findings suggest a link between dietary quality and TOT in 3rd–5th grade students. Small incremental changes in dietary quality could have implications for increased academic achievement and cognitive performance in low-income, 3rd–5th grade students. Funding Sources Supported by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute grant R01HL123865.

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 3081
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Landry ◽  
Alexandra E. van den Berg ◽  
Deanna M. Hoelscher ◽  
Fiona M. Asigbee ◽  
Sarvenaz Vandyousefi ◽  
...  

School gardens have become common school-based health promotion strategies to enhance dietary behaviors in the United States. The goal of this study was to examine the effects of TX Sprouts, a one-year school-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition cluster randomized controlled trial, on students’ dietary intake and quality. Eight schools were randomly assigned to the TX Sprouts intervention and eight schools to control (i.e., delayed intervention) over three years (2016–2019). The intervention arm received: formation and training of Garden Leadership Committees; a 0.25-acre outdoor teaching garden; 18 student lessons including gardening, nutrition, and cooking activities, taught weekly in the teaching garden during school hours; and nine parent lessons, taught monthly. Dietary intake data via two 24 h dietary recalls (24 hDR) were collected on a random subsample (n = 468). Dietary quality was calculated using the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015). The intervention group compared to control resulted in a modest increase in protein intake as a percentage of total energy (0.4% vs. −0.3%, p = 0.021) and in HEI-2015 total vegetables component scores (+4% vs. −2%, p = 0.003). When stratified by ethnicity/race, non-Hispanic children had a significant increase in HEI-2015 total vegetable scores in the intervention group compared to the control group (+4% vs. −8%, p = 0.026). Both the intervention and control groups increased added sugar intake; however, to a lesser extent within the intervention group (0.3 vs. 2.6 g/day, p = 0.050). School-based gardening, cooking, and nutrition interventions can result in significant improvements in dietary intake. Further research on ways to scale and sustain nutrition education programs in schools is warranted. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02668744).


2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1015-1015
Author(s):  
Nicholas Bishop ◽  
Jie Zhu

Abstract Objectives Cystatin C (Cys C) is a promising biomarker for early-stage chronic kidney disease. Dietary intake plays an essential role in the prevention of kidney function decline, which has yet to be examined in relation to changes in Cys C among older adults. Our objective was to test whether scores on the Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) were associated with change in Cys C from 2012–2016 and if this varied by race/ethnicity. Methods Observations were drawn from the Health and Retirement Study. Blood spot collection and examination occurred in 2012 and 2016, participant attributes were measured in 2012, and dietary assessment was conducted by a validated dietary frequency questionnaire in 2013. The sample was restricted to respondents aged ≥65 years who were White (n = 789), Black (n = 108), or Hispanic (n = 61) and had biomarkers measured in 2012 and 2016 (n = 958). Serum Cys C (mg/L) was constructed to be equivalent to the 1999–2002 NHANES scale. Dietary quality was measured using AHEI-2010. Autoregressive linear modeling adjusting for covariates and sampling design was used to examine the associations of interest. Results Mean serum Cys C was 1.20 ± 0.44 mg/L (SD) in 2012 and 1.25 ± 0.45 mg/L in 2016, and mean AHEI-2010 score was 58.11 ± 11.0. Greater AHEI-2010 was associated with lower serum Cys C level at baseline (b = −.004, SE = .013, P = .002) and less rapid increase in the Cys C level from 2012–2016 (b = −.003, SE = .012, P = .024). The association between AHEI-2010 and change in serum Cys C was significantly different for Whites and Hispanics (b = .128, SE = .031, P < .001), but null when comparing Whites and Blacks. AHEI-2010 was negatively associated with change in Cys C for Whites, and positively associated with change in Cys C among Hispanics. Stratified analyses suggested that AHEI-2010 was not significantly different for Whites and Hispanics. Hispanics had significantly lower household income, assets, and educational attainment than Whites, and greater levels of food insecurity. Conclusions Our results indicate that dietary quality has a divergent association with change in serum Cys C for White and Hispanic older adults. These results suggest the need for examination of how disparities in socioeconomic status may influence the effect of dietary intake on kidney function for older adults from different racial/ethnic backgrounds. Funding Sources No funding.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. e0257879
Author(s):  
Aviva A. Musicus ◽  
Anne N. Thorndike ◽  
Jason P. Block ◽  
Eric B. Rimm ◽  
Sara N. Bleich

Background The dual burden of poor diet quality and food insecurity makes free food—food acquired at no cost—a very important part of the nutrition safety net for low-income families. The goal of this study was to determine the national prevalence and nutritional quality of free food acquired separately in two settings: 1) by children at school; and 2) by employees at work; both stratified by participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Methods Using National Household Food Acquisition and Purchase Survey data (2012; n = 4,826 U.S. households containing 5,382 employed adults and 3,338 school-aged children), we used survey-weighted proportions to describe free food acquisition and linear regression to compare the 2010 Healthy Eating Index (HEI-2010) for free/non-free food acquisition events (i.e., meals) by SNAP status. Analyses were conducted in 2019–2020. Results SNAP households had more free acquisition events (29.6%) compared to non-SNAP households (<185% federal poverty level (FPL) = 22.3%; ≥185%FPL = 21.0%, p’s<0.001). For SNAP-participant children, free acquisition events at school had a higher mean HEI-2010 compared to non-free acquisition events at school (50.3 vs. 43.8, p = 0.033) and free acquisition events by SNAP-non-participant children ≥185%FPL at school (50.3 vs. 38.0, p = 0.001). Free and non-free acquisition events at work had relatively low HEI-2010s, with no differences by SNAP status. Conclusions Over one fifth of all food acquisition events were free, but free food acquisitions at school and work were relatively unhealthy. For children participating in SNAP, free food acquired at school had higher nutritional quality. Improving the dietary quality of free foods could improve the health of families, especially those participating in SNAP.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona M Asigbee ◽  
Jaimie N Davis ◽  
Annie K Markowitz ◽  
Matthew J Landry ◽  
Sarvenaz Vandyousefi ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Cooking interventions have been linked to reductions in obesity and improvements in dietary intake in children. Objective To assess whether child cooking involvement (CCI) was associated with fruit intake (FI), vegetable intake (VI), vegetable preference (VP), and vegetable exposure (VE) in children participating in the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) randomized controlled trial. Methods Baseline data from TGEG included 1231 3rd grade students and their parents. Conducted in 28 low-income, primarily Hispanic schools across Texas, TGEG schools were assigned to: 1) Coordinated School Health (CSH) only (control group), 2) CSH plus gardening and nutrition intervention (Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! or LGEG group), 3) CSH plus physical activity intervention (Walk Across Texas or WAT group), and 4) CSH plus LGEG plus WAT (combined group). Height, weight, dietary intake, VE, VP, and CCI were collected at baseline and postintervention. Linear regressions were used to assess the relation between baseline CCI and fruit and vegetable (FV) intake, VE, and VP. A priori covariates included age, sex, race/ethnicity, and TGEG treatment group. Results Children who were always involved in family cooking had higher VP and VE when compared with children who were never involved in family cooking (β = 3.26; 95% CI: 1.67, 4.86; P &lt; 0.01 and β = 2.26; 95% CI: 0.67, 3.85; P &lt; 0.01, respectively). Both VI and FI were higher for children who were always involved in family cooking compared with children who never cooked with their family (β = 2.45; 95% CI: 1.47, 3.44; P &lt; 0.01 and β = 0.93; 95% CI: 0.48, 1.39; P &lt; 0.01, respectively). VI and fruit consumption were higher for children who reported being sometimes involved in family cooking compared with children who were never involved in family cooking, (β = 1.47; 95% CI: 0.51, 2.42; P &lt; 0.01, and β = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.20, 1.08; P &lt; 0.01, respectively). Conclusions Results show a positive relation between family cooking and FV intake and preference in high-risk, minority children.


2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 1137-1137
Author(s):  
Aspen Miller ◽  
John Davison ◽  
Nathan Hendrickson ◽  
Brandon Koch ◽  
Michael Willey ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives Musculoskeletal trauma often leads to prolonged functional deficits. Adequate dietary intake and supplementation improves clinical outcomes after surgical fixation of hip fracture in older adults. The role of post-operative nutrition after acute fracture has not been elucidated. Our objective was to describe dietary deficiencies after operative fixation of acute fracture in young adults. Methods An observational, cohort study identified patients aged 18–55 years presenting to a Level 1 trauma center with pelvic or extremity fracture indicated for operative fixation. Dietary intake was measured using Automated Self- Administered 24-hour dietary recall (ASA24®) in weeks 1, 2, and 4 postoperatively. Individual macro- and micro-nutrients for each subject were summarized using arithmetic means. Inadequate nutritional intake was determined using Dietary Reference Intake (DRI) values reported by the Institute of Medicine. The Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015) score was calculated based on ASA24® data as described by the USDA. Results Most subjects were healthy preoperatively, 98% had ≤1 comorbidity. Eighty-four % of injures were to the lower extremities, and 59% were isolated. The majority of subjects (78%) discharged home. An average of 3.9 surveys were filled out per subject. Dietary intake overall was inadequate; 72% did not meet calorie needs. Protein intake was inadequate in 66%. All subjects did not meet DRIs for fiber, vitamin E, or potassium. More than 50% did not meet DRI for calcium, iron, magnesium, folate, vitamins C, A, or K. Added sugar and saturated fat intake exceeded recommendations in 38% and 41% of subjects respectively. Intake of beneficial foods such as whole grains and vegetables were inadequate in 100% of subjects; fruit intake was inadequate in 88%. The mean HEI-2015 score was 44.7 (±11.4 SD) across all time points. Conclusions In a population of previously healthy, young adults with major musculoskeletal trauma, dietary quality was poor compared to the average for the US population, 44.7 vs 59 HEI-2015. Diet analysis revealed a concerning lack of vegetables, whole grains, multiple micronutrients, and total calories. This data provides goals for adequate nutritional supplementation after musculoskeletal trauma. Funding Sources No payments were received to conduct this research study.


2019 ◽  
Vol 3 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Asigbee ◽  
Annie Markowitz ◽  
Matthew Landry ◽  
Sarvenaz Vandyousefi ◽  
Reem Ghaddar ◽  
...  

Abstract Objectives This study assessed how child cooking involvement (CCI) and parental support in food preparation (PS) are related to vegetable preference (VP), vegetable intake (VI), and fruit intake (FI) in children participating in the Texas, Grow! Eat! Go! (TGEG) randomized controlled trial. Methods Baseline data from the TGEG intervention, conducted in 28 low-income, primarily Hispanic schools across Texas, was used for this study, and included 1325 3rd grade students and their parents. Schools were assigned to: (1) control group; (2) school garden intervention [Learn, Grow, Eat & Go! (LGEG)]; (3) physical activity intervention [Walk Across Texas (WAT)]; or (4) combined group (LGEG plus WAT). Height (via stadiometer), weight (via Tanita scale), dietary intake and CCI (via child questionnaire), and PS (via parent questionnaire) were collected. General Linear Models examined variations in baseline VP, VI, and FI with baseline CCI and PS. A priori covariates for all analyses included: TGEG treatment group, age, sex, and ethnicity. Results Students were 49.2% male and 42.4% Hispanic with a mean age of 8.3 ± 0.6; 78.3% of the population had overweight/obesity. Children who never cooked with their families preferred fewer vegetables than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (7.0 ± 0.6 vs. 8.7 ± 0.5 and 9.4 ± 0.5 vegetables, respectively; P < 0.001). Children who never cooked with their families ate less vegetables than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (1.9 ± 0.4 vs. 2.6 ± 0.3 and 3.5 ± 0.3 servings/day, respectively; P = 0.003 and P = 0.000, respectively). Children who never cooked with their families ate less fruit than children who sometimes/always cooked with their parents (1.2 ± 0.2 vs. 1.5 ± 0.1 and 2.09 ± 0.1 servings/day, respectively; P < 0.001). Conclusions Interventions including family cooking activities with children may be an effective way to increase vegetable preference and intake, and fruit intake, especially in high-risk, minority children. Funding Sources The research was supported by funding from the USDA Agriculture and Food Research Initiative, (grant 2011-68001-30138).


2013 ◽  
Vol 111 (3) ◽  
pp. 499-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Rauber ◽  
Daniel J. Hoffman ◽  
Márcia Regina Vitolo

A previous study demonstrated that dietary counselling for mothers during the first year of life improved overall diet quality of children at pre-school age in a low-income population. Thus, the objective of the present study was to assess the long-term effect of this intervention on diet quality of children at school age and examine the tracking of dietary intake throughout childhood. The present study was a follow-up of a randomised controlled trial with children who were assessed at 3–4 years (n 345) and 7–8 years (n 307) of age. We collected two 24 h dietary recalls and assessed diet quality using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI). Analyses were performed by group using a paired t test and a Student's t test for independent samples. Diet quality did not differ between the intervention and control groups at 7–8 years of age (HEI score 65·2 (sd 9·5) v. 64·9 (sd 8·5)). Regarding changes in diet quality from pre-school to school age, we observed the tracking of diet quality in the control group and the loss of the intervention effect in the intervention group. In both groups, the score for fruit and milk intake decreased, while that for saturated fat and dietary variety intake increased. The score for the intakes of grains, meat and legumes, and total fat remained constant for all children. The present data provide evidence that diet quality tracks during childhood since the total HEI score did not differ over time in the control group. The decrease in score for some HEI components did not affect the overall diet quality due to the increase in score for other HEI components.


2010 ◽  
Vol 13 (8) ◽  
pp. 1271-1278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gail Rees ◽  
Savita Bakhshi ◽  
Alecia Surujlal-Harry ◽  
Mikis Stasinopoulos ◽  
Anna Baker

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate the effectiveness of a computer-generated tailored intervention leaflet compared with a generic leaflet aimed at increasing brown bread, wholegrain cereal, fruit and vegetable intakes in adolescent girls.DesignClustered randomised controlled trial. Dietary intake was assessed via three 24 h dietary recalls.SettingEight secondary schools in areas of low income and/or high ethnic diversity, five in London and three in the West Midlands, UK.SubjectsGirls aged 12–16 years participated (n 823) and were randomised by school class to receive either the tailored intervention (n 406) or a generic leaflet (n 417).ResultsAt follow-up 637 (77 %) participants completed both baseline and follow-up dietary recalls. The tailored intervention leaflet had a statistically significant effect on brown bread intake (increasing from 0·39 to 0·51 servings/d) with a smaller but significant increase in the control group also (increasing from 0·28 to 0·35 servings/d). The intervention group achieved 0·05 more servings of brown bread daily than the control group (P < 0·05), which is equivalent to 0·35 servings/week. For the other foods there were no significant effects of the tailored intervention.ConclusionsThe intervention group consumed approximately 0·35 more servings of brown bread weekly than the control group from baseline. Although this change between groups was statistically significant the magnitude was small. Evaluation of the intervention was disappointing but the tailored leaflet was received more positively in some respects than the control leaflet. More needs to be done to increase motivation to change dietary intake in adolescent girls.


Author(s):  
Arezoo Rojhani ◽  
Ping Ouyang ◽  
Angel Gullon-Rivera ◽  
Taylor Marie Dale

Few studies have examined the dietary intake of low-income pregnant women participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC). The aim of this study was to assess the dietary quality of WIC-enrolled pregnant women and examine associations with maternal characteristics, nutrition knowledge, and key health indicators. Fifty-one WIC-enrolled pregnant women completed two sets of 3-day food records. Food records were analyzed for nutrient content, and diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index (HEI)-2015. Since an HEI score of less than 60 is indicative of the need to improve dietary quality, participants’ HEI scores were divided into two categories: <60 and ≥60. The total mean HEI score of the cohort based on analysis of the first set of food records was 59.1 ± 12.5 (range 37.1–89.2), while the mean score for the second 3 days of food records was 56.8 ± 12.7 (range 30.0–89.0). The majority of participants did not consume the minimum recommended servings of whole vegetables. Those in the <60 HEI category consumed on average less than 50% of the recommended servings of whole fruits and whole grains. The diets of the majority of participants were high in saturated fat and sodium. More than one-third did not meet the recommendations for folate and iron intake, while less than half met the RDA for vitamin D. Choline intake was insufficient based on analysis of the first 3 days of food records. Our results indicate that the dietary quality of WIC-enrolled pregnant women requires improvement.


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