Theses and Dissertations from UMD

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New submissions to the thesis/dissertation collections are added automatically as they are received from the Graduate School. Currently, the Graduate School deposits all theses and dissertations from a given semester after the official graduation date. This means that there may be up to a 4 month delay in the appearance of a give thesis/dissertation in DRUM

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Subject: search.filters.subject.dietary intake

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    Relationships between the Frequency of Family Meals, Overweight, Dietary Intake and TV Viewing Behaviors among White, Hispanic, and Black Maryland Adolescent Girls
    (2013) Siddiqui, Sheena Fatima; Saksvig, Brit I; Epidemiology and Biostatistics; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Objective: Examine relationships between frequency of family meals (FFM) and overweight, dietary intake (DI) and TV viewing behaviors, and examine relationships by race/ethnicity among adolescent girls. Methods: Secondary analysis of TAAG 2 data was conducted. Participants categorized in two groups based on overweight status. Personal data, DI and TV viewing behaviors were collected. Multivariate logistic regression used to estimate parameters. Results: No association between FFM and overweight or between FFM and overweight by race/ethnicity; significant associations found in the relationships between FFM and specific DI and TV viewing behaviors; and effect modification plays role in the relationship between FFM and weekly breakfast intake only. Conclusion: Findings suggest that additional research is needed to establish if FFM has an effect on overweight, families who have ≥three FM may promote positive DI behaviors and watch less TV, and more studies exploring the racial/ethnic differences in FFM and DI behaviors relationship are needed.
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    From China to the US: nutrition, diet and acculturation of Chinese employed in high-tech industries - Results from a web-based survey
    (2007-08-06) Wang, Chunling; Sahyoun, Nadine; Nutrition; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Background: Due to the fast development of economies in China and the great needs of professionals in the US, the population of highly educated young Chinese professionals working in high-tech industries has grown very fast in both countries. This population was suggested to have risk of consuming high energy and fat diet in both countries. Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the associations of dietary intake with nutrition knowledge, attitude, dietary self-efficacy and acculturation among Chinese working in high-tech industries in China and in the US. Methods: This study was a cross-sectional self-administered online survey. We studied 925 Chinese aged 20-45 years, who worked in high-tech industries and had at least a bachelor degree in four sub-groups: employees of Chinese companies in China; employees of American companies in China; Chinese-born immigrant in the US; and American-born Chinese in the US. A web-based questionnaire including a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) was developed to assess total energy and fat intakes, nutrition knowledge, attitudes, dietary self-efficacy. Four domains of acculturation were assessed among Chinese in the US. Using these data, we compared the four sub-groups and tested the prediction model of dietary intake and BMI. Results: Our results showed that American-born Chinese participants consumed significantly higher energy and fat than the other three groups. Participants in the US had higher nutrition knowledge, attitude and self- efficacy than participants in China. Chinese-born immigrant men in the US had the highest nutrition knowledge and attitude and the lowest prevalence of overweight among the four study groups of men. The study results suggested that preferring Chinese food and Chinese leisure activity are predictors of lower energy and fat intake in Chinese-born immigrants. Conclusions: The Chinese-born immigrants showed significant advantages in nutrition knowledge, attitude, and dietary self-efficacy and had the lowest prevalence of overweight in men. American-born Chinese consumed the highest energy and fat among the four study groups even though their nutrition knowledge, attitude and self-efficacy were high. Future nutrition promotion programs should make use of these cultural and environmental differences when designing theses programs. The web-based survey method can be utilized in future nutrition research.
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    Social Network and Dietary Intake in Community Dwelling Elderly Women: A Secondary Analysis of theThird National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey
    (2006-07-18) Phillips, Regina Miecznikoski; Simon-Rusinowitz , Lori; Public and Community Health; Digital Repository at the University of Maryland; University of Maryland (College Park, Md.)
    Over the last three decades, more emphasis has been placed on describing and explaining the specific nature of social interactions and the effects of these interactions on health. The elderly population, defined in this study as those individuals 60 years of age or older, has been of particular interest because of their increased risk for illness and disability with advancing age. Elderly women are considered particularly vulnerable to the effects of illness and disability. Research from a variety of disciplines suggests that the social network (i.e. the structure of individuals with a specific, designated relationship to the individual in need), and its inherent social support, is an important factor for maintaining physical, mental and social health in all older adults (Cohen, Teresi & Holmes, 1986; Kaufman, 1990; Shumaker & Hill, 1991). Dietary intake is an indicator of overall health; understanding factors that affect dietary intake provides clinicians with the opportunity to promote positive health outcomes and a positive quality of life for the older adult. Few studies examine the specific relationship between the social network and dietary intake and nutrition in any population. This study examined the relationship between the social network including household size, frequency of non household contact with family/friends and frequency of organizational contact and dietary intake in community-dwelling older women using the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). Dietary intake was measured by total food energy intake, body mass index, total dietary intake of selected vitamins/food components and self reported assessment of food security. Although several significant associations emerged, the study's hypotheses were not supported. For example, frequency of neighbor visits was inversely related to total food energy intake (TFEI) as well as calcium intake. Church attendance was positively associated with TFEI, fiber intake and the odds of having a BMI classified as overweight. This study will heighten the awareness of clinicians, health educators and policy makers to the potential impact of the social network on dietary intake. It emphasizes the need for research that addresses the frequency and quality of the social interactions and more diversity within the sample.