Audrey C. McCool

Dietary intake and nutritional status of older adult homeless women: a pilot study.

Abstract A pilot study was conducted to identify eating patterns, food sources, and nutritional problems among a limited population of older homeless women located in a large urban area. Most of these womens food came from shelter meals, and their food intake was inadequate for most nutrients. The availability of fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and whole grains was very limited. Foods high in saturated fats and simple carbohydrates provided most of their caloric intake. Although some women were obese, most were found to have low BMI and midarm muscle mass area measurements indicating low body fat stores and potential muscle wasting.

Financial Conditions and Performances: A Sector Analysis of the Restaurant Industry

ABSTRACT This article reports on an analysis of financial ratios across different sectors of the restaurant industry to determine how the financial conditions and performances of the different restaurant types might differ. Such an analysis may offer some explanation for the differences seen in the financial conditions of the different restaurant types. Significant differences in the ratios among the restaurant types was found only in die solvency ratios leading to the conclusion that while the long-term financing policies of the four types of restaurants may differ, their short-term financing policies, as implied by their liquidity positions, may not differ.

Nutrition Education for Homeless Women—Challenges and Opportunities: A Pilot Study

The study purpose was to identify if homeless womens food and nutrition knowledge and the nutritional value of their food selections improved after they attended a series of nutrition education classes. The food behavior and food and nutrition knowledge of fifty women residing at two homeless shelters were pre-and post-tested. Comparison of the differences between mean rank scores on test scores was done using the Wilcoxon sign-ranks test. Following the classes, participants consumed significantly more fruit and vegetables, yogurt, bread, cereal, pasta, and rice per day and demonstrated significantly improved food knowledge.

Computer Skills for Hospitality Management Graduates: Round Two

ABSTRACT Although die Hospitality Industry has been using computer technology for some time now, the increase in the sophistication and use of technology within the past five years has been significant. As a result, students of Hospitality Management must acquire appropriate computer skills coupled with positive attitudes toward computer usage. Given the limitations in classroom time and physical resources available for computer systems training, it is imperative mat Hospitality Management faculty create a positive learning environment for computer applications, while focusing on the development of skills which will be of greatest use to the students.

Reducing Cancer Risk in Rural Communities Through Supermarket Interventions

Cancer risk is high, and prevention efforts are often minimal in rural communities. Feasible means of encouraging lifestyles that will reduce cancer risk for residents of rural communities are needed. This project developed and tested a model that could be feasibly adopted by rural communities to reduce cancer risk. This model focuses on incorporating multi-faceted cancer risk education in the local supermarket. As the supermarket functions both as the primary food source and an information source in small rural communities, the supermarket focus encourages the development of a community environment supportive of lifestyles that should reduce residents’ risk for cancer. The actions taken to implement the model and the challenges that communities would have in implementing the model are identified.

Abstract A43: Comparing changes in cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior by demographics and assimilation from a multi-tiered community-based model

Purpose of the Study: The goal of this paper is to compare the impact of a multi-tiered community-based cancer prevention model on cancer knowledge, health attitude and behavior, by demographics and assimilation with an emphasis of impacts on disadvantaged rural minority population. Background: There is less choice for healthy food, less access to health facilities and sparse access to public health information in rural communities that create higher risk of preventable cancer in rural areas. How families from different cultural origin react to the community dynamics are defined by their culture and language. Thus, to accurately study the effectiveness and impact of cancer prevention approach it would be helpful to compare the outcomes by demographics and assimilation. Experimental Procedures: A project to deliver educational interventions to rural populations by using local supermarkets was launched in June of 2011 in a rural community of West Texas. The population of the intervention community is 4,571 with 64% Hispanic population and a poverty rate of 20%. The primary purpose of this project was to develop, implement, and evaluate a multi-tiered approach designed to reduce obesity risk factors in the targeted rural community. While, there have been programs previously developed and tested that have attempted to bring cancer prevention services to local communities, almost all such programs have been located in urban areas and few have utilized supermarkets. This paper evaluates and analyzes the outcome of this project by accounting for the heterogeneity in demographic characters. Data Summary: The paper will be based on two group designs. First, 68 respondents, aged 18 and over, participated in both the pretest and posttest survey, they form the pretest-posttest group for one-group pretest-posttest design (16% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 50% of the total pretest-posttest respondents were Hispanic). Second, 189 and 145 respondents aged 18 and over, participated in pretest and posttest survey respectively. They form the community effect group (15% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 52% of the respondents were Hispanic in pretest survey and 18% of the respondent9s primary language was Spanish, 54% of the respondents were Hispanic in posttest survey). There is no overlap between respondents in the two group design. The cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior comparison will be done for Hispanic vs. non-Hispanic and Spanish vs English language respondents within the two group designs. Statement of Conclusion: Obesity may not be an outcome of a problem in isolation; it is an outcome of a complex of socio-demographic, economic, and health factors. An in-depth applied research like this one will help disentangle this complex issue and facilitate implementation of effective prevention strategies across similar demographics with similar degrees of assimilation. Citation Format: Janani Rajbhandari Thapa, Conrad P. Lyford, Barent McCool, Barbara Pence, Audrey McCool. Comparing changes in cancer knowledge, health attitudes, and behavior by demographics and assimilation from a multi-tiered community-based model. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr A43. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-A43

Effecting Cost Control Through Integrated Food and Beverage Forecasting

ABSTRACT Forecasting has always been a difficult task for restaurant managers as many variables, most of which are external to the restaurant, can easily change a consumers dining decision. This presentation discussed a tool for improved forecasting which was developed and implemented by the Stouffer Orlando Resort. The forecasting methodology used is based on a statistic called the Capture Ratio rather than the traditional Covers per Occupied room statistic.