Food Systems, Nutrition, and Health

Master of Public Health


August 31, 2017

A Qualitative Study on the Development and Adoption of the First State-Wide Comprehensive Food Service Guidelines for Improving the Health and Productivity of State Employees

In 2013, Washington State became the first to adopt state-wide comprehensive food service guidelines to increase the availability of healthy food and beverages sold to state employees and served to state institutionalized populations. The food service guidelines are a component of the worksite wellness policy titled Executive Order 13-06: “Improving the Health and Productivity of...

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June 15, 2017

School Lunch Entree Components Before and After Implementation of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010: A Secondary Data Analysis

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA) 2010 updated standards to increase the quality and quantity of healthy items offered to students. Since HHFKA implementation, studies have focused primarily on fruit and vegetable selection and consumption, nutrient quality of whole meals, and plate waste. The goal of this study was to complete existing descriptions of the...

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Changes in Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectations from Child Participation in Bicycle Trains for Commuting to and from School

Active commuting to school (ACS) is associated with increased physical activity and lowered risk of obesity. In observational studies, ACS was associated with child self-efficacy, parent self-efficacy and parent outcome expectations, although few experiments have assessed changes in these behavioral constructs. This study examined the effects of a bicycle train intervention on child self-efficacy, parent...

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A Qualitative Study of U.S. Food Waste Programs and Activities at the State and Local Level

In the United States, 40 percent of all food intended for human consumption is lost or wasted. This has economic, environmental, and social consequences that justify the involvement of public agencies. Although there have been actions taken by public agencies across the country to address the issue of food waste, little is known about how...

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Examining Food Procurement Characteristics in Washington State Child Care Settings

Early care and education (ECE) settings serve as primary eating environments for young children. Approximately 60% of U.S. children aged 5 years old and under are enrolled in some form of ECE and receive up to two-thirds of their daily nutrition in these settings. Many factors impact nutrition in ECE settings. While most studies have...

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May 12, 2017

Development of Nutrition and Eating Disorder Resources/Handouts for University of Washington Sororities

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April 28, 2017

Understanding Barriers to Accessibility in Washington State Farmers Markets

Presented March 9, 2017. This project was completed in the course NUTR 531: Public Health Nutrition.

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March 31, 2017

Assessing Sodium Content of Foods in Two Seattle-King County Food Banks

The emergency food system is an increasingly important source of food for food insecure households. Meanwhile, there is growing concern among food banks, food bank clients, and public health officials in regard to the quality of foods offered in food banks and whether they support the dietary needs of low-income populations. As agencies begin to...

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December 16, 2016

An Analysis of the Adoption and Implementation of Breastfeeding Policies in Washington State Clinics

The benefits of breastfeeding for the mother-infant dyad and broader society are well documented. While U.S. breastfeeding initiation rates have improved over the past decade, rates for exclusive breastfeeding and breastfeeding duration remain low, particularly for families from communities of color, low income households, and rural regions. Given the social and environmental barriers many families...

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Increasing Farmers Market Access among Low-Income Shoppers in Washington State: Understanding the Role of Peer-to-Peer Programs

Many Americans are not consuming adequate amounts of fruit and vegetables. In 2013, only 13% ofUnited States residents consumed the recommended one and one-half to two cups of fruit each dayand only nine percent were meeting the recommendations to consume two to three cups of vegetablesper day. Low-income individuals are less likely to consume the...

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