Betty B. Alford

Cottonseed protein : What does the future hold ?

Cottonseed protein has the potential to increase the worlds food supply while decreasing the incidence of malnutrition among the worlds hungry. Nutritionally, cottonseed flour compares favorably to other animal and vegetable protein sources, as it is low in fat and contains a substantial amount of high biological value protein. Animal studies, as well as human research, using gossypol-free glandless cottonseed flour have shown that cottonseed protein promotes growth, increased weight gain, and a positive nitrogen balance. Cottonseed protein food products have been shown to be a healthy addition to the diets of children, college-age women, and the elderly. With its light color and bland flavor, cottonseed has many uses in the food processing arena. Baked goods, snack foods and candy, as well as pet and livestock feed are just a few successful products developed utilizing cottonseed protein.

Body Composition, Dietary Intake, and Energy Expenditure in Nonobese, Prepubertal Children of Obese and Nonobese Biological Mothers

OBJECTIVE To determine differences in dietary intake, resting energy expenditure, activity level, fat-free mass, and percentage body and abdominal fat in nonobese children of obese mothers compared with nonobese children of nonobese mothers. DESIGN Cross-sectional comparison study. Childrens food diaries were analyzed to determine average energy and nutrient content. Resting energy expenditure of children was measured by means of indirect calorimetry. Childrens activity levels were estimated through questionnaires administered during interviews. Dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry was used to estimate body composition of children. SUBJECTS Mothers of subjects responded to advertisements and were recruited as nonobese (body mass index = 20 to 25) or obese (body mass index > or = 30). Offspring included in the study were prepubertal and nonobese (10th to 90th percentile of weight for height by gender). Twelve pairs of children could be matched for weight, gender, and age. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS PERFORMED Wilcoxon signed rank tests were used to determine differences between the 2 groups of children. RESULTS Percentage abdominal fat was greater (median difference = 3.15, P = .001) and fat-free mass was lower (median difference = 1.19, P = .04) in children of obese mothers compared with children of nonobese mothers. No statistically significant differences between the 2 groups of children were found for dietary intake, resting energy expenditure, activity level, or percentage body fat. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS The significantly higher percentage of abdominal fat and lower fat-free mass in children of obese mothers may contribute to obesity onset. Use of dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry as a screening tool for nonobese, prepubertal children with an obese parent will help to identify those at risk. Education and lifestyle changes can then be implemented to help prevent the onset of obesity.

Education increases consumption of vegetables by children

Summary To compare the effectiveness of a vegetable education program with the service of an adequate diet incorporating a study was conductcd in a camp for diabetic children. In the first camp session, 71 children (experimental group) were observed for vegetable eating practices and given an educational program on vegetables. The consumption was recorded. During the second camp session, 89 children (control group) were not given the educational program and consumption was recorded. Vegetable consumption increased significantly in the experimental group and did not in the control group. For these children, education was an important factor in the vegetable consumptionpractices even with the serving of an adequate diet.

CD-ROM Nutrient Analysis Database Assists Self-monitoring Behavior of Active Duty Air Force Personnel Receiving Nutrition Counseling for Weight Loss

This study observed the effect of using a computerized vs manual method of self-monitoring among Air Force personnel receiving nutrition counseling for weight loss. Subjects who enrolled during the first 2 weeks of the 4-week recruitment period completed food records for 6 weeks using a CD-ROM nutrient database (intervention group) whereas those who enrolled during the last 2 weeks used a food record booklet (comparison group). Of the 42 subjects (n = 23 intervention group and n = 19 comparison group), only 113 intervention and 11 comparison group subjects (57% of study enrollees) submitted at least 1 food record during the study and were included in the analysis, which included review of pre- and poststudy questionnaires, food records, and focus group data. There were no significant differences between the number of days per week documented or average number of items recorded daily. All 9 intervention as compared to 2 comparison group subjects who completed a poststudy questionnaire searched for lower-energy and lower-fat items and reported changing their dietary intake as a result. All intervention group subjects who participated in a focus group (n=6) had favorable comments about using the CD-ROM for monitoring and changing eating habits, indicating that it is a beneficial self-monitoring tool. Participants enjoyed the immediate dietary feedback, and computerized food records may be easier to interpret by nutrition counselors. A number of computerized nutrient databases are available to assist patients and consumers in managing nutritional concerns.

The Effect of Nutrition Education on Anemic African American Children Enrolled in the WIC Program

Abstract Anemia is a serious problem for children who live in poverty in the United States. One group of particular concern is African American children. Findings from past studies indicate that African American children normally have lower Hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations when compared to Caucasian children of the same age. Studies over the last two decades have shown that the WIC Program (Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children) has played an instrumental role in lowering the rate of anemia among participating children ages six months to five years. Fifty-one health records of African American children ages 1–5 were examined. Of this sample, n=47 were follow-up participants and n=4 were new WIC enrollees. Hb concentrations were compared at the beginning and end of the six month certification period of the following groups: control (n=25); experimental (n=12); and mixed experimental (n=14). The experimental group received individual counseling pertaining to iron rich foods at the beginning of the certification period, attended two special iron nutrition education classes, and were mailed a newsletter with menu ideas which contained iron rich foods. The mixed experimental group received the individual counseling and attended one of the iron classes. Pretest mean Hb values from each group were as follows: control 10.6; experimental 10.4; and mixed experimental 10.5. The post test mean scores of the three groups showed increases in Hb concentrations of 1.09, 1.25, and .70 g/dl respectively. A statistical difference was found among the control and experimental group. This study showed that concentrated nutrition education did have a positive effect on increasing the Hb concentrations among the groups tested. Because the control group showed to be significant, this leads one to believe that the WIC program as a whole reduced the rates of anemia.

Evaluation of a nutrition education module as a component of the career orientation of foreign missionaries

Abstract The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of a nutrition education module, emphasizing both cognitive and affective concepts, on the nutrition knowledge, flexibility of attitude toward nutrition and attitude about nutrition education of missionaries during their orientation period. The experimental (n = 22) and control (n = 19) groups completed pre- and post-test questionnaires that were developed for this study. Missionaries in the experimental group demonstrated significant increases in both nutrition knowledge and more positive attitudes about nutrition education after participation in the module. The control group, however, had no significant increase in knowledge at post-testing and, in general, had significantly more negative attitudes about nutrition education. No significant changes in flexibility were detected for the control group and only for one statement in the experimental group. Significant positive correlations resulted at post-testing between nutrition knowledge and attitude, as well as knowledge and flexibility for the experimental group and between flexibility and attitude for both the experimental and control groups. Results from this study suggest that a change in nutrition knowledge precedes a change in attitude in the knowledge-attitude-behavior pathway as revealed by an analysis of covariance. This sequence supports the principles of adult learning and the theory of holistic education upon which the program of missionary orientation is based.

A Comparison of Body Composition, Dietary Intake, Energy Expenditure and Activity Level in Normal Weight Children of Obese and Normal Weight Biological Mothers

Abstract LEARNING OUTCOME: Identify if genetic predisposition or environmental influences are more predictive of obesity risk in normal weight prepubertal children. Differences in body composition, dietary intake, resting energy expenditure (REE) and activity level were examined in 24 normal weight (10th-9Oth percentile for weight) prepubertal children. Body Mass Index (kg/m 2 ) (BMI) was calculated for both children and parents. Twelve children were from obese (BMI > 30) biological mothers, and 12 children were from normal weight (BMI = 20-25) biological mothers. Children in each group were matched for gender, weight and age. Dual energy x-ray absorptiometry was utilized to determine body composition of the children. Seven day food diaries for each child were analyzed for average energy and nutrient content. REE of the children was measured using indirect calorimetry. Activity levels of the children were estimated using tested interview questionnaires. Body fat was 2.6% greater and abdominal fat was 4.3% greater in children of obese mothers. Effect size analysis revealed a medium effect size, .50 and .73 for body fat and abdominal fat, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in dietary intake, REE or activity level between the two groups of children. Strong positive correlations were found between monounsaturated fatty acid intake and percent body fat (.82) and percent abdominal fat (.83) in children of normal weight mothers. By identifying children that may be at risk for developing obesity and its complications, education and lifestyle changes can be implemented to prevent obesity onset

Effects of Nutrition Education on Menu Planning at Sorority Houses

Abstract Menu planners in small foodservice facilities are often challenged to design menus that are nutritious and appealing to consumers. The purpose of this study was to determine to what extent sorority women consider nutrition when making food choices and to assess the effects of nutrition education on housemothers who plan menus for sorority houses. One hundred and fifty women at 5 selected sorority houses on one campus were surveyed. Results revealed that 32% of these women almost always consider nutrition when making food choices, and 55% sometimes consider nutrition. However, 100% of the women sometimes or almost always considered taste and preference when making food choices, and over 80% were almost always concerned about weight loss and weight gain. Over 1/2 almost always preferred whole wheat bread, and approximately 3/4 almost always or sometimes consumed 3 servings of vegetables and 2 servings of fruits daily. Housemothers at the 5 sorority houses submitted three days of menus to the researcher. Analysis using Minnesota NDS, vers 2.5, showed that these menus contained less than 100% of the RDA for vitamin D, calcium, iron and zinc for this age group. The mean fat content was 85g. and dietary fiber content was 20g. A nutrition education workshop was held for the housemothers with information presented on the USDA Dietary Guidelines, Food Pyramid and strategies for reducing fat and increasing fiber in menus. Following the workshop, each housemother modified menus to improve them nutritionally. Probably due to the small number of sorority houses participating, analysis of the modified menus did not show significant changes in values of fat, dietary fiber, minerals and most vitamins. However, the value of vitamin B6 increased significantly (p 0.01), and mean daily fat content in menus was reduced to 64.5g. and fiber content increased to 24g. Calcium and vitamin D amounts remained deficient, probably related to the decrease in fat content of the modified menus. Results indicate that individuals attending a workshop on how to use nutritional guides can be influenced to improve the nutrient content of menus. Since approximately 16,000 women live in sorority houses on U.S. college campuses, education of menu planners at these facilities is important in improving the diets of college women.

A Comparison of Two Methods for Assessing Abdominal Adiposity

Abstract Abdominal adiposity was assessed using two different methods, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and the conicity index (CI), in 52 postmenopausal Caucasian women to determine how well each predicts abdominal adiposity. The advantage of using CI over WHR is that CI has a built-in adjustment for height and weight which allows for direct comparisons of abdominal adiposities over the entire spectrum of heights and weights. WHR was calculated by dividing the circumference of the waist (the narrowest girth below the rib cage) by the hip circumference (the maximum girth over the buttocks). Abdominal fat weight (between the iliac crest and L1) was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. CI was calculated using the following formula: CI=abdominal girth/.109W/Hwhere abdominal girth is waist circumference in meters, W is weight in kilograms, and H is height in meters. Height was not significantly correlated with waist circumference, but weight was highly correlated with waist circumference (r=.92, p