Food for Thought Foods & Nutrition Outreach – August 2005

Foods & Nutrition Department Stone Hall, Room 213 700 W. State Street West Lafayette, IN 47907-2059 Phone (765) 494-8228 Fax (765) 494-0674 www.cfs.purdue.edu/f&n

Next Month

Discovery

Research shows added calcium benefits women on the pill.

Make no bones about it – ACT is a fun, interactive way to teach about bone health!

Extension

Extension promotes eating fruits and vegetables at the Indiana State Fair.

Discovery

Technology Helps Campers Assess Diets

Teens attending Purdue’s Camp Calcium this summer had an opportunity to learn some Australian or “Aussie” talk in addition to participating in a controlled-diet study exploring the role of calcium in bones. Deb Kerr, PhD, Senior Lecturer and Janine Wright, Lecturer from Curtin University in Western Australia worked with Carol Boushey, associate professor in the Foods and Nutrition Department, to find better ways to improve diet assessment in adolescents during camp. A doctoral student from Curtin, Sophy Porter, also helped with the project.

During camp, investigators examined different methods of dietary assessment including two traditional methods: the paper/pencil food record and the 24-hour recall, as well as an innovative method using a personal digital assistant (PDA.) For the 24-hour recall, the 5-pass method was used; this is the same method used in the NHANES. For the innovative method, Carol, Deb, and Janine did “proof of concept” for recording foods using a food record program written specifically for a PDA. Professor Kyle Lutes in Computer Technology supervised an undergraduate’s final project that was to create this food recording PDA software. The campers reported liking the PDA as they enjoyed using the technology and they liked the games they could play on the PDA after they finished recording their diet!

In between the two separate three-week sessions of camp calcium on the West Lafayette campus, campers took home a diet assessment kit that included a disposal camera and a small spiral note pad with lined paper. The campers were asked to take pictures of their food before eating and after eating using the disposal cameras and to record any additional information in the notebook.

The camper’s experiences with the various dietary assessment methods were evaluated in a number of ways. They participated in focus groups and completed a questionnaire about their experiences. Investigators learned some teenagers liked the interview process and some really disliked the interview process. Very few of the campers reported liking the paper and pencil method. Recording foods in the PDA was mixed. On the positive-side, they all liked taking pictures of their food. With the advent of new technology that combines camera, phone, and recording in one apparatus, the Purdue and Curtin researchers may be able to come up with an innovative approach to diet assessment in adolescents- that is both well accepted and provides quality data.

For more information about diet assessments in adolescents contact Carol Boushey, Ph.D., Associate Professor boushey@purdue.edu.

Promoting Family Meals

Whether a family comes together for mealtime impacts a child’s diet and eating habits, weight and health, academic performance, and emotional well-being. The demise of the family meal has had far-reaching negative effects on families and children. Promoting family mealtime can be a significant public health measure for improving nutrition and health, reducing overweight, and building stronger families and communities.

The Promoting Family Meals Project through Purdue’s Center for Families in the College of Consumer and Family Sciences is working to research new and existing strategies for promoting family mealtime to parents and families, schools, organizations, and community leaders. The project facilitates the dissemination of the research literature on the importance of family meals and promotion strategies via presentations, resources, and a web site.

This project originated in 2004 with the awarding of the Center for Families’ Hancook Faculty Fellowship to Barbara Mayfield, a continuing lecturer in the department of Foods and Nutrition. During 2004-2005, Mayfield completed a review of the literature surrounding the family meal, developed initial message concepts for promotion of family mealtime to policy makers, health professionals and educators; and collected feedback/pilot data on message concepts and promotion strategies.

Throughout the year Mayfield shared the results of her work and collected feedback via presentations and the web site. The review of literature is ongoing and has resulted in a reference list available on the web site. Presentation audiences have included the Society for Nutrition Education, EFNEP and FNP professionals and para-professionals, the American Dietetic Association, other state dietetics associations, state WIC programs, early childhood educators, high school Family and Consumer Science teachers, extension educators, and community leaders. Audience members have provided input via surveys regarding promoting family meal strategies and messages. The project has been featured in newspapers, newsletters, and television and radio interviews.

An identified need that will become the focus of the project as it moves ahead into its second year is to provide tools for promoting the family meal for other health professionals and educators to use with families, community leaders and policy makers. This project has spurred leaders in nutrition and education across the country to develop mealtime initiatives who are seeking assistance and resources. The web site will serve as the means to disseminate information and resources.

For more information about Promoting Family Meals visit the Center for Families website at www.cfs.purdue.edu/CFF or contact Barb Mayfield at bmayfield@purdue.edu.

Extension

Indiana Governor initiates a new program to encourage Hoosiers to get INShape!

INShape Indiana, a new program launched in July, is a web-based program to link Hoosiers with local services and events to help them improve their health. INShape Indiana is designed to increase awareness and action among Hoosiers to eat healthier and move more. Below is a copy of the governor’s press release.

Press Release:  July 13, 2005

INDIANAPOLIS -- Governor Mitch Daniels is asking Hoosiers to get involved in a new state initiative that will help improve the health status of Indiana and improve individual fitness. He introduced INShape Indiana today, a Web-based program that connects people with local services and events that help them make healthy choices to improve their quality of life.

"Adopting a healthy lifestyle is good for you and good for Indiana," said the governor during the launch of the program at the National Institute for Fitness and Health in Indianapolis. "Too many Hoosiers are losing years because they do not embrace healthy habits. And, health care costs in Indiana are among the highest in the country. Our rising cost of health insurance coverage, combined with lost productivity due to illness, has made Indiana a less desirable place to do business."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Indiana is the fourth most obese state, 26 percent of adult Hoosiers report no regular physical activity and nearly 78 percent consume less than five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. In addition, 25 percent of Indiana adults smoke cigarettes.

"Millions of Hoosiers can help our economic comeback gain momentum by participating in INShape Indiana," said Governor Daniels, who maintains an active workout schedule each week.

To join INShape Indiana, individuals and groups can log onto the Web site at www.inshape.IN.gov and register for free by answering a brief survey. Every two weeks, participants will receive an e-mail message, asking them to provide an update on their wellness progress.

The INShape Indiana Web site also serves as a clearinghouse for information on programs, activities, and events from throughout the state related to nutrition, physical activity, and smoking cessation.

"The purpose of INShape Indiana is to empower individuals to adopt healthy behaviors and improve their quality of life," said Dr. Judith A. Monroe, state health commissioner. "Ultimately, we want to celebrate the success of those who have made the commitment to a healthy lifestyle."

A series of incentives, including free access to the Indiana State Parks, ice skating at the Indiana State Fairgrounds, discounts on produce at Marsh, and a number of recognition ceremonies, will be used to provide motivation. Recognition programs may include such opportunities as most participants from a community or fittest business.

Daniels also announced that Indiana basketball legend George McGinnis will serve as chairman of the Governor's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports, and Lyn St. James will be the vice chair. Colts quarterback Peyton Manning will serve as the honorary chairman.

INShape Indiana will be administered through the Governor’s Council for Physical Fitness and Sports at the Indiana State Department of Health. For more information on INShape Indiana, contact the Governor’s Council at 317/233-7671.

Source: Governor Mitch Daniels' Office

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