Dana Gonzales

Nutrient Intake among Children with Autism

The objective of this study was to examine adequacy of nutrient intake and determine the impact of multivitamin use on nutrient intake in children with autism. This was a retrospective analysis of food frequency questionnaire data collected from 54 children, ages 2-8 years, in the Autism Integrated Metabolic and Genomic Endeavor Study at Arkansas Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Little Rock, AR. The average percent of Kilocalories from carbohydrate, protein and fat fell within the acceptable macronutrient distribution ranges at 56%, 14% and 33%, respectively. Mean intakes for calcium, potassium, vitamin E, vitamin D and fiber were below the dietary reference intake (DRI) levels at 75%, 57%, 77%, 25% and 41%, respectively. Mean intakes of vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, vitamin C, and vitamin B6 exceeded the DRI at 216%, 233%, 270%, 452% and 228%, respectively. No differences were found in vitamin D, vitamin E, calcium, total kilocalorie, carbohydrate, protein and fat intake between children who were multivitamin users and those who were non-users. These data indicate that children with autism have diets adequate in kilocalories and macronutrients, while imbalances exist in fiber and several micronutrients. Dietary interventions for children with autism should be aimed at addressing these potential nutritional imbalances.

Promoting family-centered, interprofessional health education through the use of solution focused learning

The faculty at Partners for Inclusive Communities use a innovative model called Solution Focused Learning (SFL) to promote family-centered care within an interprofessional education program. The SFL model provides direction toward building respectful, collaborative partnerships among professionals. This curricula was developed through the Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental Disabilities (LEND) program funded by the Bureau of Maternal Child Health of the Health Resources Service Administration. LEND is a leadership program that includes graduate and postgraduate students from the disciplines of pediatric medicine, health services administration, nursing, nutrition, occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech pathology, audiology, psychology and social work. The purpose of LEND is to prepare students to assist families of children with special health care needs to meaningfully participate in community life, effect systems change and prevent secondary disabilities by forging community-based partnerships. This is accomplished by participation in SFL sessions and clinical evaluation teams. This article describes how familycentered interprofessional education can be accomplished through the use of SFL.

Impact of Menu Labeling on Food Choices of Southern Undergraduate Students

Americans consume more meals away from home at fast-food and dine-in restaurants. The restaurant foods are notorious for their energy density and large portion sizes. The objective of our study was to determine whether or not the addition of calorie information to a restaurant menu affects the calorie content of meals ordered by college students. Study participants were selected from a random sample of 1,025 undergraduate students (≥ 18 years old). Data analyses included descriptive statistics and both paired-samples and independent-samples t-tests. Our data analysis found a significant difference between the number of calories chosen from the first menu (without calorie labels) versus the second menu (with calorie labels) (p=0.001, 2-tailed). Analysis also showed that there was no significant difference in calories ordered from the first menu versus the second menu for those who had taken a college-level nutrition class and those who had not (p=0.051, 2-tailed). Our findings suggest that menu calorie labels can positively affect college students’ meal selections making them lower in calories; however, no particular group of students was more likely than any other to change their menu selections after seeing the calorie labels. Further research is needed to determine if use of calorie labels will decrease the number of calories ordered at fast-food and dine-in restaurants among other populations.

Self-Reported Changes in Weight, Food Intake, and Physical Activity from High School to College

The purpose of this study was to examine body weight, dietary intake, and physical activity among first-year students during the transition from high school to college. First-year students (n=28) at a public university in central Arkansas completed an online survey that assessed demographic, height, weight, diet, and physical activity information. The survey was administered during the spring semester of the 2009 academic year, with participants instructed to report current (i.e. collegiate) and retrospective (i.e. final year of high school) information. Current weight was greater than recalled high school weight (+2.7 kg, p=0.008). Dietary intake as assessed by reported frequency of consumption of selected food items was significantly decreased in college relative to high school for three foods: milk (– 0.17 times/day, p=0.013), cheese (–0.27, p=0.012), and red meat (–0.18, p=0.006). Time spent participating in vigorous-intensity physical activity was also significantly less in college compared to high school (p<0.05), although time spent walking or bicycling for transportation was significantly increased from 5.6 ± 16.1 min/d in high school to 49.5 ± 57 min/d in college (p<0.001). These results indicate that students in this population experienced moderate weight gain during their first year in college, in conjunction with a decrease in vigorous-intensity physical activity and modest changes in food intake. Weight gain occurred despite large increases in time spent walking and bicycling for transportation. Interventions to increase vigorous physical activity, especially activities beyond walking and bicycling, may be particularly important in preventing weight gain in this population.