Brief Summary of Minutes of Annual Meeting

Tuesday, October 25

• Welcome introduction and state report highlights: State PI’s and group advisor provided an update of individual, department, college, university, and state-level changes and announcements.
• USDA Overview: Dennis Savaiano, Administrative Advisor
• Research & Grant Planning – Objective 1: Dissemination and implementation of Healthy Campus Research Consortium (HCRC’s) suite of tools that utilize a policy, systems, and environment (PSE) approach for campuses. Discussed potential timing, recruitment, dissemination strategies, and working committees related to conference grant for this objective.
• Research Planning- Objective 2: Development of policy, systems, environment (PSE) assessment tools for urban and rural communities with low income considering social determinants of health and influential disruptive factors (IDFs).
• Research Planning- Objective 3: Expanded understanding of college students’ dietary patterns considering social determinants of health and influential disruptive factors (IDFs) with an emphasis on food insecurity, mental health, and the built environment.
  • Healthy Campus Environmental Audits

Wednesday, October 26

• Research Planning- Objective 4: Exploration and interpretation of interactions between lifestyle behaviors and environmental factors using big data analysis techniques with multiple data sets.
• Review Policy and Procedures: Policies, Procedures, and Reports; Information, Data, and Outputs; and Program Planning. Discussed state report content/format, annual reporting requirements and due dates, member expectations (definitions and terms), and potential changes to policies and procedures document.
• Future Meetings and Leadership: Identified PIs for future leadership roles for the administrative executive committee (chair and secretary) and subcommittees; planned dates for future monthly meeting calls and annual meeting dates
• HCRC conference grant planning: Reviewed sessions outlines and agenda. Contacted/recruited participants to attend the virtual conference
• USDA Update: upcoming grant cycles and overview

 Thursday, October 27

• Discussion of Future Research Directions: causal effects of weight gain; “AI Project”. Growing Containers for food security
• Additional Research Subprojects: Discussed subprojects being explored: Food insecurity and Unhoused young adults
• Future grant planning: Explore funding opportunities; NIH, USDA AFRI future funding

Target Audience: Young adults, university campus community, and urban and rural communities experiencing low-income.

Accomplishments: The NC1193 multistate group continues to develop and refine tools to assess the healthfulness of college campuses and communities where young adults live to effectively disseminate information that can be used by campus administrators and stakeholders to make changes that support and sustain healthier environments for young adults. The research impacts from this group have the potential for extensive health care cost savings. The research outcomes target pre-symptom behaviors and those items supporting pre-symptom behaviors. Consumption of adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables is positively correlated with prevention of cancer, obesity, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, this work has increased awareness regarding the importance of environmental supports needed for healthier choices with stakeholders such as university administrators, faculty, staff, and students. A USDA conference grant was submitted and selected for funding. Collaborative publications totaled 10 and presentations totaled 15.

HCRC Research Objective 1:

Two activities occurred that support this objective. The first activity was the awarding of a conference grant to University of Tennessee to disseminate the outcomes from the multistate work. This conference took place November 29-December 1, 2022 virtually. One of the goals of the conference was to disseminate to the attendees the set of tools that were developed by the multi-state group to benchmark healthfulness of campuses. The second goal of the conference was to allow sharing and collaboration from other institutions with similar interests. The second activity occurred during the annual meeting of the Society of Nutrition Education and Behavior, August 1, 2022. Members of the multi-state group led round table discussions on activities associated with measuring healthfulness of environments. Results were shared with the constituents.

HCRC Research Objective 2:

To accomplish this work, focus groups with different groups within the community will be conducted to assess their perceptions of healthfulness of the environment in communities with those who have lower incomes. In the previous cycle, Extension nutrition educators who work with communities that are classified as lower income were interviewed for their perceptions of the healthfulness of the environment. This next step in the study involved interviewing community stakeholders about their perceived barriers and facilitators to engaging in healthful behaviors in these communities. A collaborative, refereed journal article was submitted based on data collected with Extension nutrition educators and is currently under review.

HCRC Research Objective 3:

Auburn led the development of a survey to assess food security on college campuses. The goal of this step in the survey development was to ensure that the survey was understandable for the target audience. Findings will inform the development of a survey to measure food security in the 18–24-year-old college population. The current surveys are lacking assessment questions specific to the influential disruptive factors in the college population.

Training:

• Total of 44 graduate students were trained in research (14 NH, 5 SD, 2 AL, 1 KS, 17 MS, 5 ME, 6 TN, 2 WV, 2 FL)
• Total of 16 undergraduate students were trained in research (11 NH, 1 AL, 2 MS, 2 ME, 4 KY)

Publications: 

• Gonzalez-Alvarez A, Rosenkranza S, Kidd T, Kroker-Lobos M, Rosenkranz R. (2021). Overweight and Obesity among Schoolchildren of Rural Guatemala and the Food Environment around Schools. World Nutrition, 12(4):32-50. doi.org/10.26596/wn.202112416-50 
• Opoku-Acheampong A, Rosenkranz R, Adhikari K, Muturi N, Logan C, Kidd T.  (2021). Tools for Assessing Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Underserved Young Adult Populations: A Systematic Review.  International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 13305. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph182413305
• Kunicki, Z.J., Kattelmann, K.K., Olfert, M.D., Franzen-Castle, L., Colby, S., Mathews, D.R., White, A.A. Dyadic Analysis of a Self-report Physical Activity Measure for Adult-Youth Dyads. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022;53, 440–447. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01144-3.
• Chen, B., Kattelmann, K., Comstock, C., Wey, H., Bowne M., Meendering, J. Identifying food parenting practices from comprehensive home environment survey. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior. 2022;54(6), 557-564. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2022.02.010.
• McNamara, J., Kunicki, Z., Neptune, L., Parsons, K., and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2022) Development and Validation of the Young Adult Nutrition Literacy Tool. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 54:691-701. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35469757/  doi: 10.1016/j.jneb.2022.01.011
• Eck, K.M., Quick, Q., and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2022) Body Dissatisfaction, Eating Styles, Weight-Related Behaviors, and Health Among Young Women in the United States. Nutrients, 14:3876. https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/14/18/3876  doi: 10.3390/nu14183876.
• Eck, K. and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) Disordered Eating Concerns, Behaviors, and Severity in Young Adults Clustered by Anxiety and Depression. Brain and Behavior, e32367. doi.org/10.1002/brb3.2367  doi: 10.1002/brb3.2367
• Anderson-Steeves E., Gillespie R., DeWitt E., Barr M., Cox B., Hudson T., Haynes-Maslow L., Trude A., Gustafson A. “Barriers and facilitators to online shopping among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Participants: A Mixed Method Study”. Ecology of Nutrition 2022 [accepted for publication]
• Gillespie R., DeWitt E., Trude A., Haynes-Maslow L., Hudson T., Anderson-Steeves E., Barr M.,Gustafson, A. “Barriers and Facilitators of Online Grocery Services: Perceptions from Rural and Urban Grocery Store Managers”. Nutrients October 2022
• Gustafson, A., Gillespie, R., DeWitt, E., Cox, B., Dunaway, B., Haynes-Maslow, L., Anderson Steeves, E., Trude, A., “Online Pilot Grocery Intervention among Rural and Urban Residents Aimed to Improve Purchasing Habits” Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19(2), 871

Abstracts:

• Varela E, Zeldman J, Kuch A, Wang Y, Hall E, McNamara J, Morrell J, Tolar-Peterson T, Brown O, Olfert M, Franzen-Castle L, Kidd T, Colby S, Kattelmann K, Greene G, Shellnut K. The impact of COVID-19 on perceived barriers and facilitators to the healthfulness of communities with low-income. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 2022;54:S7.
• Varela E, Zeldman J, Hall E, Wang Y, Kuch A, Olfert M, Kidd T, Kattelmann K, Greene G, Shelnutt K. Perceived healthfulness of the environment of communities with low income by community stakeholders. J. Nutr. Educ. Behav. 2021;53:S7.
• Tywanick, K., Quick, V., and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) Examining associations of anxiety and depression severity with eating and physical activity behaviors among U.S. college students. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121:A-125. Presented virtually at Food Nutrition Conference and Expo, October.
• Li, Y., Delaney, C., Abbot, J., and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) Comparison of Dietary Intake and Physical Activity of Young Adult College Students Enrolled in Introductory Nutrition Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121:A-123. Presented virtually at Food Nutrition Conference and Expo, October.
• Eck, K. and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) Eating Behaviors and Nutrition-Related Beliefs of Division 1 Collegiate Athletes. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121:A-22. Presented virtually at Food Nutrition Conference and Expo, October.
• Eck, K. and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) College Students “Grit” Level is Negatively Associated with Disordered Eating Behaviors. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121:A-51. Presented virtually at Food Nutrition Conference and Expo, October.
• Cudia, M., Delaney, C., and Byrd-Bredbenner, C. (2021) Variations in Weight-Related Behaviors of Young Adults by Mindful Eating Score. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 121:A-36. Presented virtually at Food Nutrition Conference and Expo, October.
• Parsons, K., Neptune, L., Reynolds, A., Sullivan, A.., Byrd-Bredbenner, C., and McNamara, J. (2021) The Impact of Health Behaviors on Health-Related Quality of Life in College Students. Current Developments in Nutrition, 5(S2):439. Presented virtually at American Society for Nutrition annual meeting, June.

Thesis:

• Tywanick, K. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2021): The Relationship Between Mental Health Characteristics (Anxiety and Depression) with Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors in University Students
• Cudia, M. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2021): Relationships Among Mindful Eating and Weight-Related Behaviors of Young Adult College Students
• Yue, L. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2021): Dietary Intake of Young Adult College Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Carr, J. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2022): The Relationships of Eating and Physical Activity Behaviors with Perceived Stress Among College Students
• Mayersky, M. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2022): Exploring the Relationship of Weight-Related Behaviors and Mental Health Characteristics with Reasons for Exercising Among College Students
• Mandell, A. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2022): Exploring the Relationships of Psychological Characteristics and Disordered Eating Behaviors with Dieting Among College Students
• Fitts, V. Master’s Thesis and Seminar (2022): Exploring Relationships of Disordered Eating and Body Dissatisfaction With Lean, Non-Lean, and Mixed Sport Athletes