Theses and Dissertations at Montana State University (MSU)
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Item Understanding the effects of food waste reduction methods and the implementation of a food waste program(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Heath & Human Development, 2016) Leitch, Alicia Rae; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carmen Byker; Carmen Byker Shanks and Selena Ahmed were co-authors of the article, 'Food waste reduction strategies in large foodservice operations: a systematic review of literature' submitted to the journal 'Journal of sustainability' which is contained within this thesis.; Carmen Byker Shanks, Selena Ahmed and Thomas Bass were co-authors of the article, 'Understanding the effects of food waste reduction methods and the implementation of a food waste program' submitted to the journal 'Journal of sustainability' which is contained within this thesis.Approximately 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted each year totaling nearly a third of all food produced in the world.1 Food service operations are one of the leading contributors to food waste.2 Decreasing the amount of food waste is an emerging priority of the United States Department of Agriculture. Large-scale food service operations such as university dining facilities may be prime location to implement food waste reduction strategies in order to reduce overall food waste and increase sustainability. Despite the notable contribution of large-scale food service operations to food waste, there is a lack of research on the effectiveness food waste reduction strategies in such operations. The research presented here seeks to address this research need of identifying food waste reduction strategies and their effectiveness within large food service operations through a systematic review of literature using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines. Findings from this systematic review were synthesized to design and implement a cross-sectional pre and post study evaluating the effectiveness of two food waste reduction strategies including dining facility changes as well as a large service style renovation. Findings of the systematic review indicate that implementing food waste reduction strategies are effective in reducing overall food waste. Analysis of the cross-sectional pre and post study indicated a positive effect of dining hall renovation on reducing food waste. Findings from this study provide valuable information to inform food waste research and evidence on designing policies and practices to reduce food waste in large-scale food service operations.Item Maternal and child nutrition support in the food environment(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2015) Houghtaling, Bailey Elizabeth; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carmen Byker; Carmen Byker Shanks and Mica Jenkins were co-authors of the article, 'Factors associated with increased likelihood of breastfeeding among participants of the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC): a systematic review of literature' submitted to the journal 'Public health nutrition' which is contained within this thesis.; Carmen Byker Shanks, Teresa Smith and Selena Ahmed were co-authors of the article, 'Validation and adaptation of the nutrition environment measure in stores (NEMS-S) to assess infant feeding resource support in the food environment' submitted to the journal 'Preventing chronic disease' which is contained within this thesis.Infant feeding resources are often found within food environments yet have not been a main focus of food environment investigations. Food options in the retail environment are important, complex factor in dietary choices that can either be promotional or preventative of healthy behaviors. At the same time, breastfeeding is considered a top public health priority due to its unparalleled, favorable health outcomes that impact infants, mothers, and entire communities. For this reason the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that breastfeeding continue for at least one year after birth. There are multiple practical and social barriers to breastfeeding for women that support the need for appropriate formula varieties in the food environment to support infant nutrition. The United States Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) promotes breastfeeding as an optimal source of nutrition for infants, and offers breastfeeding incentives for enrolled mother-infant pairs resulting in higher assistance allotment for foods, or formula supplements for non-breastfed infants. This research includes a systematic review of literature conducted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) statement guidelines in order to identify factors associated with increased likelihood of breastfeeding among WIC participants. This research also introduces a measure adapted from the Nutrition Environment Measure in Stores (NEMS-S) formulated to capture infant feeding support in the food environment. The Infant Feeding Resource Survey (IFRS) captures WIC-supported brand formulas and alternate brand varieties in addition to resource support necessary for breast or formula feeding in store settings. Review findings indicate sociodemographic characteristics, environmental and media support, government policy, intent to breastfeed, attitudes toward breastfeeding, social support, and time exposed to WIC program are correlated with increasing breastfeeding rates within this population. Application of the IFRS indicated a reduced variety of infant feeding resource options in more rural locations in Montana. Data provides valuable information in extension of the state of the science of food environment focused research.Item Strategies to control portion size in the food environment(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2015) Bates, Katie Jolene; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carmen Byker; Carmen Byker Shanks was a co-author of the article, 'Environmental strategies that influence portion size and energy intake: a systematic review' submitted to the journal 'Appetite' which is contained within this thesis.; Carmen Byker Shanks was a co-author of the article, 'Placement of a take-out container during meal influences energy intake' submitted to the journal 'Eating behaviors' which is contained within this thesis.The purpose of this research is to examine the impact of increasing portion sizes on the food environment and the implications for obesity, to synthesize and evaluate the efficacy and availability of research experiments that focus on managing portion sizes and energy intake in the food environment, and to conduct a controlled laboratory experiment to examine if the presence of a take-out container given with a meal reduces energy intake. The systematic review, conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, was conducted to synthesize research experiments that focused on the food environment to influence portion size and energy intake. Across studies, the majority of food environment strategies were effective in decreasing portion size and energy intake among participants. Fifty college students completed a randomized study in a well-controlled laboratory. Independent t-tests confirmed that when a take-out container was given with the test meal, it led to a significant difference in energy intake. No significant correlation was found between BMI and energy intake. This research illustrates that providing an environmental cue such as a take-out container could decrease how much a person eats in one eating occasion. Future research should examine if the take-out container cue remains an effective strategy in a restaurant or other type of foodservice and if it has the same affect on energy intake over an extended period of time. It would also be prudent for other researchers to test other portion control strategies in the food environment in order to determine factors that may lead to decreased energy intake for consumers when eating away from the home.Item Psychosocial and behavioral factors affecting dietary intake in relation to federal dietary guidance(Montana State University - Bozeman, College of Education, Health & Human Development, 2014) Haack, Sarah Alexis; Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Carmen Byker; Dr. Carmen J. Byker was a co-author of the article, 'Recent population adherence to and knowledge of United States federal nutrition guides 1992-2013: a systematic review ' submitted to the journal 'Nutrition reviews' which is contained within this thesis.; Carmen J. Byker, Courtney A. Pinard, and Alison Harmon were co-authors of the article, 'The role of past US nutrition guides and related psychosocial factors on current consumption patterns and self-reported BMI' submitted to the journal 'Journal of nutrition education and behavior' which is contained within this thesis.; Carmen J. Byker, Courtney A. Pinard were co-authors of the article, 'Psychosocial factors and dietary habits affecting food and beverage choices of college students: a theory-based approach' which is contained within this thesis.The purpose of this research is to identify psychosocial and cognitive correlates of dietary intake patterns and weight status, and to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrition guides and federal dietary guidance from an historical approach, identifying their long-term role in health attitudes and behaviors. Forty-seven college students completed a 24- hour dietary recall and Dietary Awareness Survey measuring demographic characteristics of participants, knowledge of the Food Guide Pyramid (FGP), support for federal dietary guidance, and self-efficacy for eating healthy. Adherence to FGP recommendations was low among participants, as were knowledge, support, and self-efficacy scores. No significant correlation was found between knowledge and intake. While there was no evidence of association between support, self-efficacy, and adherence, support was significantly correlated with increased fruit intake, and self-efficacy was associated with decreased intake of soft drinks. Lastly, those adhering to overall and dairy FGP recommendations had higher BMI scores than those not adhering. These results suggest limited retention of nutrition guide recommendations, as well as psychosocial determinants of adherence beyond intrapersonal factors. Limitations included, self-reported weight and dietary intake data, which may have introduced response bias, as well as a small, homogenous sample, limiting external validity. Future research should examine the role of interpersonal and environmental constructs in affecting dietary intake, as well as the association between dairy intake and weight status.