Master of Public Health

August 14, 2025

The Intersection of Culture, Eating Habits and Eating Competence Among U.S.-Born vs. Immigrant Southeast Asian College Students

Southeast Asian (SEA) countries have a shared culture that is distinct from the vaguely defined “Asian culture,” a nuance that is lost in U.S.-based research that reports racial demographic groups as opposed to ethnic ones. SEA cultures share characteristics in their relationship to food and mealtimes, and understanding these cultural influences on eating habits can…

Nutritional Adequacy of the Planetary Health Diet Improved by More Nutrient-Rich Foods: Analyses of the FAO Food Composition Tables for Western Africa

The EAT-Lancet planetary health diet (PHD) was designed to meet nutritional needs while staying within planetary boundaries. This study tested nutrient adequacy of the PHD using the Food and Agriculture Organization Food Composition Tables for Western Africa (WAFCT). WAFCT food items (n=596) were aggregated into PHD categories (n=21). Median energy, protein and micronutrient content were…

Affordable Nutrient Density of Aquatic Foods in the FAO uFISH Database Assessed Using Nutrient Rich Food Price Index

Fish and shellfish have the potential to improve global public health by alleviating protein-energy malnutrition and closing micronutrient gaps. The aim of this study was to determine nutrient density of fish and shellfish in the FAO/INFOODS uFISH database using the Nutrient Rich Food (NRF) index and compare their affordability in relation to protein and priority…

Towards Achieving Latino Food Equity: Insights from Latino Community Leaders in Central Eastern Washington

Latino Food Equity acknowledges the diverse cultural and socioeconomic factors that influence food access and consumption within the Latino community, promoting more inclusive and effective strategies to achieve food equity. This is a qualitative sub-study of the Food Research and Equity Collaborative (FrEsCo), and it aims to document the perception of community leaders in Central…

Eating for Mental Health

The National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) Northern Lakes affiliate provides support, education and advocacy for people living with mental illness by facilitating peer and family support groups, hosting community building events, leading free crisis intervention training, and more for three rural counties in upstate Wisconsin. One of the organization’s most important endeavors is operating…

May 13, 2025

Free Days and Free Ways to Reach Washington State Parks

Access to outdoor recreation has been proven to improve mental and physical health outcomes, as well as community wellbeing. Washington state parks, however, are often located far from population centers and are difficult to access for people without private vehicle access, individuals with disabilities, and residents of low socioeconomic status. Free Days and Free Ways…

April 22, 2025

Food is Medicine: Feasibility for a Statewide PRx Program in Arizona

As a Nutrition and Physical Activity Trainee with the Association of State Public Health Nutritionists (ASPHN) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO), the student partnered with the Arizona Department of Health Services to work on Food is Medicine (FIM) initiatives as part of a…

March 5, 2025

Katie McConaughy

What have you been doing since completing your degree & RDN training? After earning my degree and becoming an RD, I joined the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI), the state agency responsible for overseeing public K-12 education. I work in child nutrition services on USDA grant-funded initiatives aimed at improving the quality of…

What have you been doing since completing your degree & RDN training? I currently work for the Washington State Department of Agriculture as a contracts specialist for the Focus on Food Initiative where I help to lead a project to distribute remaining Coronavirus state recovery funds to support hunger relief and emergency food response efforts,…

January 6, 2025

Recommendations to Improve Food Access for K-12 Students in the City of Seattle

Food insecurity is defined as “limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate and safe foods or limited or uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways.” In 2023, about 18% (6.5 million) of U.S. households with children experienced food insecurity. The impacts of low and very-low food security, such as reduced food quality,…