Professional Educational Services

Purpose: The objective of this project was to investigate dietary behaviors and perceived food availability for small college student athletes.
Methods: Two-hundred seventy-two student athletes from a Midwestern urban city participated in this study. Students-athletes received an electronic consent form and a dietary survey containing question about demographics, food frequency, perceived nutrition environment and food security.
Results: The project indicated that athletes reported eating limited fruit and vegetables. Athletes also reported that fruit was available to them mostly as either  “always” (41.9%) or “often” (25%) and responded that vegetables were available “always” (45.2%) or “often” (27.2%).  Chi-Square indicated that there were significant differences between male and female athletes when reporting specific items.
Conclusion: There is a need for continued nutritional tracking to understand dietary habits of small-college athletes, and whether they have the available food needed for athletic and academic success.  In addition, effective nutrition interventions are needed to improve dietary intake: not only for performance, but also for health. 
Application in Sport: Understanding nutritional behaviors, motivators, and knowledge are essential for coaches and administrators. Tracking of dietary behaviors should allow key personnel to develop interventions for a team or identify problematic issues such as eating disorders, and injury recovery.

Purpose: The objective of this project was to investigate dietary behaviors and perceived food availability for small college student athletes.
Methods: Two-hundred seventy-two student athletes from a Midwestern urban city participated in this study. Students-athletes received an electronic consent form and a dietary survey containing question about demographics, food frequency, perceived nutrition environment and food security.
Results: The project indicated that athletes reported eating limited fruit and vegetables. Athletes also reported that fruit was available to them mostly as either “always” (41.9%) or “often” (25%) and responded that vegetables were available “always” (45.2%) or “often” (27.2%). Chi-Square indicated that there were significant differences between male and female athletes when reporting specific items.
Conclusion: There is a need for continued nutritional tracking to understand dietary habits of small-college athletes, and whether they have the available food needed for athletic and academic success. In addition, effective nutrition interventions are needed to improve dietary intake: not only for performance, but also for health.
Application in Sport: Understanding nutritional behaviors, motivators, and knowledge are essential for coaches and administrators. Tracking of dietary behaviors should allow key personnel to develop interventions for a team or identify problematic issues such as eating disorders, and injury recovery.

Background: Nonexercise models were developed to predict maximal oxygen consumption (VO 2 max). While these models are accurate, they don't consider smoking, which negatively impacts measured VO 2 max. The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of smoking on both measured and predicted VO 2 max. Methods: Indirect calorimetry was used to measure VO 2 max in 2,749 men and women. Physical activity using the NASA Physical Activity Status Scale (PASS), body mass index (BMI), and smoking (pack-y = packs·day * y of smoking) also were assessed. Pack-y groupings were Never (0 pack-y), Light (1-10), Moderate (11-20), and Heavy (>20). Multiple regression analysis was used to examine the effect of smoking on VO 2 max predicted by PASS, age, BMI, and gender. Results: Measured VO 2 max was significantly lower in the heavy smoking group compared with the other pack-y groups. The combined effects of PASS, age, BMI, and gender on measured VO 2 max were significant. With smoking in the model, the estimated effects on measured VO 2 max from Light, Moderate, and Heavy smoking were-0.83,-0.85, and-2.56 ml·kg-1. min −1 , respectively (P < .05). Conclusions: Given that 21% of American adults smoke and 12% of them are heavy smokers, it is recommended that smoking be considered when using nonex-ercise models to predict VO 2 max.

This study examined the relationships among neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), food store types, and availability of healthy foods during winter months in Fargo, ND. Trained surveyors used the Nutrition Environment Measure Survey-Stores (NEMS-S) to document availability of healthy food items in sixty retail food stores (96% of total community retail food stores) categorized as 'ethnic grocery', 'supermarkets', and 'convenience'. Healthy food items considered were fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat/fat free milk, and reduced fat/fat free items. Community neighborhoods were divided by elementary school district; allowing neighborhood SES to be determined by the percentage of free and reduced price lunch and thus grouped as high or low SES neighborhoods. Cross tab analysis and chi-square test showed no significant relationship between neighborhood SES and store type. Significant relationships were noted among neighborhood SES and two healthy food categories. Significant relationships were determined among store type and three healthy categories. This research shows that store type, especially may influence availability of healthy foods, with neighborhood SES also exerting some effect. Lack of supermarket stores may limit the availability of healthy foods, regardless of neighborhood SES.

Purpose: Although obesity and physical activity prevalence systematically vary by income and ethnicity, it is unclear how well census data represent actual conditions. Using data from the Kansas City Built Environment and Health Study, we examined whether differences in ...

This study examined the relationships among neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES), food store types, and availability of healthy foods during winter months in Fargo, ND. Trained surveyors used the Nutrition Environment Measure Survey-Stores (NEMS-S) to document availability of healthy food items in sixty retail food stores (96% of total community retail food stores) categorized as ‘ethnic grocery’, ‘supermarkets’, and ‘convenience’. Healthy food items considered were fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat/fat free milk, and reduced fat/fat free items. Community neighborhoods were divided by elementary school district; allowing neighborhood SES to be determined by the percentage of free and reduced price lunch and thus grouped as high or low SES neighborhoods. Cross tab analysis and chi-square test showed no significant relationship between neighborhood SES and store type. Significant relationships were noted among neighborhood SES and two healthy food categories. Significant relatio...

VO2max is associated with many factors, including age, gender, physical activity, and body composition. It is popularly believed that habitual smoking lowers aerobic fitness. PURPOSE: to determine the effect of habitual smoking on VO2max after controlling for age, gender, activity and BMI. METHODS: 2374 men and 375 women employed at the NASA/Johnson Space Center were measured for VO2max by indirect calorimetry (RER&gt;=1.1), activity by the 11 point (0-10) NASA Physical Activity Status Scale (PASS), BMI and smoking pack-yrs (packs day*y of smoking). Age was recorded in years and gender was coded as M=1, W=0. Pack.y was made a categorical variable consisting of four levels as follows: Never Smoked (0), Light (1-10), Regular (11-20), Heavy (&gt;20). Group differences were verified by ANOVA. A General Linear Models (GLM) was used to develop two models to examine the relationship of smoking behavior on VO2max. GLM #1(without smoking) determined the combined effects of age, gender, PASS ...

The main objective of this study was to assess availability of nutritional information and healthful food promotion between restaurant types, fast-food verse full service. A secondary objective was to determine whether there were significant differences between neighborhood socioeconomic statuses. The Nutrition Environment Measure Survey-Restaurants was used to document nutrition information availability and promotional signage in 187 restaurants in Fargo, ND. Chi square tests showed that nutritional information was readily available within fast-food restaurants than full service restaurants (P ≤ .001) and that fast-food promoted more healthful options than full service also, (P ≤.001). Secondary chi square test showed those restaurants in high SES neighborhoods promoted healthful menu items option (P ≤.001) and healthful eating (P &lt;.05) that lower SES neighborhoods. This projected showed that healthful food promotions and nutritional information was more prevalent in fast-food r...