Mia Clark

Influencing food selection with point-of-choice nutrition information

Abstract This study evaluated the effectiveness of a point-of-choice nutrition information program that used a comprehensive set of communication functions in its design. Positive findings in other point-of-choice cafeteria studies relate to the provision of tangible incentives for behavior change. This study examined the effect of a nutrition education program that relied on intangible incentives. To provide sufficient incentive for behavior change we presented specific nutrient information on the food choices at each meal, suggestions for healthful food selection, and the long-term, presently intangible health benefits of such change. The study was designed to control for seasonal effects and for internal variables that typically threaten validity. We conducted the program in two dormitory cafeterias for an academic year. Students in one dormitory cafeteria were presented with a nutrition sign (providing general nutrition information and recommendations for changing food selections) and with nutrient display cards (indicating the number of calories, milligrams of cholesterol, and percentage of calories provided by fat in one serving of each targeted food). Students in a second dormitory cafeteria were presented with nutrient display cards only, after a baseline, no-intervention period. The results of a multiple-baseline experiment indicate that food-selection behavior was influenced in the first cafeteria but remained unchanged in the second location.

Scaling up: Taking the Academic Pathways of People Learning Engineering Survey (APPLES) national

The Academic Pathways of People Learning Engineering Survey (APPLES) was deployed for a second time in Spring 2008 to undergraduate engineering students at 21 American universities. The goal of APPLES was to corroborate and extend findings from the academic pathways study and the first deployment of APPLES (Spring 2007) on factors that correlate with persistence in engineering on a national scale. This set of deployments, which surveyed over 4,500 students, was among the largest and broadest cross-sectional surveys focusing on undergraduate engineering ever undertaken. Because there was no readily-available list of undergraduate students attending American institutions studying and intending to study engineering, we sampled by institution using institutional characteristics such as Carnegie 2000 classification. In seeking participation by a broad range of institutions, we recognized the need to vary the target student strata for recruitment by institution. In this process paper, we present an overview of our institutional sampling, discuss our student sampling and recruitment, and report response results. We extend our lessons learned from deploying the online survey at four institutions to 21 institutions, including coordination with local campus coordinators, IRB requirements, subject recruitment and deployment to build on the model for conducting survey design and research for engineering education researchers.

Cholesterol-related counseling by registered dietitians in northern California.

BACKGROUND An estimated 40 million Americans have serum cholesterol levels that warrant medically supervised dietary intervention. Although registered dietitians are expected to play an important role in treating these patients, current treatment practices in the community are largely unknown. METHODS A questionnaire concerning treatment practices was mailed to all 377 registered dietitians listed in the directories of the American Dietetic Association for two large California districts. Number of patients seen and length and content of dietary counseling were ascertained for three types of patients: (a) hypercholesterolemic outpatients without heart disease, (b) hypercholesterolemic outpatients who have heart disease, and (c) inpatients with myocardial infarction. RESULTS A return rate of 59% (n = 252) was obtained for the questionnaire. A total of 44% of the registered dietitians counseled hypercholesterolemic patients in any of the categories surveyed. About 30% of the respondents counseled hypercholesterolemic outpatients without heart disease. They saw an average of 4.9 such patients a week, spent an average of 53 min in an initial session, and usually did not see the patient again in follow-up. Fewer than 10% of patients had as many as four sessions. About 27% of the respondents saw hypercholesterolemic outpatients with heart disease, averaging 3.5 such contacts per week. The reported practices were similar to those provided to noncardiac outpatients. About 22% of registered dietitians worked with hospitalized myocardial infarction patients. They spent an average of a total of 41 min over 2.5 visits with each patient. CONCLUSION Currently, outpatient registered dietitian counseling for hypercholesterolemia appears to be limited in both the number of patients reached and the duration of the counseling. Further research into the impact of, barriers to, and efficacy of alternative delivery methods of dietary counseling is needed.