A Qualitative Study of the Meaning of Food and Religious Identity.

OBJECTIVE: To identify common themes of the meaning of food among people who identify with a specific religious tradition, particularly focusing on potential applications for nutrition education and professional practice at multiple levels of the Social-Ecological Model. DESIGN: Virtual and in-person focus groups were used to collect qualitative data. SETTING: A midsized city in eastern Washington State. PARTICIPANTS: Nine focus groups (n = 35), each representing a distinct religious congregation. PHENOMENON OF INTEREST: Meaning of food in the context of religion. ANALYSIS: Qualitative, reflexive thematic analysis using web-based software to organize data. RESULTS: Four key themes were identified that applied to both of the overarching focus group topic areas (general and religious): (1) food fosters connection, (2) food influences health, (3) relationships with food are complicated, and (4) food choices reflect values. Subthemes were specific to topic areas. In religious contexts, the meaning of food was more likely understood at a community level in addition to individual and relational levels of the Social-Ecological Model. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPLICATIONS: Acknowledgment and consideration of the religious identities of patients and clients may provide greater opportunities for community connection, which may have potential implications for community-level nutrition interventions.

Prevalence of Food Insecurity in the General College Population and Student-Athletes: a Review of the Literature.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: The purpose of this review is to examine the prevalence of food insecurity (FI) among the general college student population with a focus on student-athletes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI in these groups. RECENT FINDINGS: FI is estimated to be more prevalent in college students than in the general population, although ranges vary widely. Less is known about FI among college student-athletes. Data on changes in FI prevalence pre-pandemic and during is mixed. Colleges and universities should invest in interventions to address FI on their campuses, and further research on FI among student-athletes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on FI is needed.

Our Bodies are Temples: Health Programming in Christian Church Communities.

This exploratory research considers the ways in which Christian churches provide health and wellness programming to their congregations and the surrounding community. We investigated one community in the Pacific Northwest region of the USA. Here we examined the types of health-related programs promoted by the church community, to whom these programs are directed, and the theological motivations for providing such services. We also analyzed the sociocultural dynamics of each congregation that may lead some churches to promote health and wellness more than others. Findings suggest that many churches focus primarily on providing services to the community at large, rather than promoting healthy living within their own communities.

Cardiovascular disease risk profile of NCAA Division III intercollegiate football athletes: a pilot study.

OBJECTIVES: Concerns about the long-term cardiovascular health implications of American football participation have been investigated at the professional and Division I levels, but limited research is available at the less resourced Division III level. Therefore, the objective was to assess the cardiovascular disease risk profile of NCAA Division III intercollegiate football athletes. METHODS: Eighty-nine varsity football athletes (age = 19.6 ± 1.7 years, height = 1.81 ± 0.07m, weight = 92.7 ± 16.2kg; n = 21 linemen, n = 68 non-linemen) at a private Division III university volunteered to participate. During a preseason pre-participation physical examination, all participants completed a health history screening form (to assess personal and family history of cardiac related pathologies), and were assessed for height, weight, body mass index (BMI), and blood pressure (BP). Linemen only additionally gave a blood sample for fasting blood glucose and cholesterol analysis, and were assessed for waist and hip circumference, metabolic syndrome, and percent body fat (%BF). These measures were reported as averages and frequencies of elevated cardiovascular. Independent t-tests compared linemen to non-linemen, all other data was presented descriptively. RESULTS: On average, linemen were significantly taller, heavier, had a higher BMI and higher systolic BP than non-linemen (all P < 0.05); there was no difference in diastolic BP between the groups (P = 0.331). The average anthropometric and cardiac risk characteristics for linemen were largely within normal ranges, however analyzed individually, a substantial number of participants were at elevated risk (BMI ≥30 = 85.7%, %BF ≥25 = 71.4%, waist circumference ≥1 = 42.9%, hypertension = 9.5%, high density lipoproteins <40mg/dL = 42.9%, and triglycerides ≥150mg/dL = 6.7%; metabolic syndrome prevalence = 19%). CONCLUSIONS: Similar to research in elite athletics, linemen at a single Division III university have elevated cardiovascular disease risk. Physicians and other healthcare providers should consider this elevated risk during pre-participation physical examinations and in planning educational or dietary programming targeted to promoting cardiovascular health.

Effect of quercetin supplementation on repeated-sprint performance, xanthine oxidase activity, and inflammation.

Maintenance of repeated-sprint performance is a goal during team-sport competition such as soccer. Quercetin has been shown to be an adenosine-receptor antagonist and may reduce oxidative stress via inhibition of the enzyme xanthine oxidase (XO). The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of quercetin consumption on performance of repeated sprints and, secondarily, the XO and inflammatory-marker response induced by repeated-sprint exercise. Fifteen recreationally active, young adult men completed 2 repeated-sprint tests (RST), 12 × 30-m maximal-effort sprints (S1-S12), each after 1 wk supplementation with a placebo, a 6% carbohydrate commercial sports drink, or that drink with 500 mg of quercetin-3-glucoside, consumed twice a day (1,000 mg/d). Blood samples were collected before supplementation (B0), at baseline before each RST (B1), immediately after RST (B2), and 1 hr after RST (B3). Mean sprint time increased progressively and was significantly higher by S9 for both treatments (5.9%); however, there were no significant differences between treatments. Percent fatigue decrement (%FD) for placebo (3.8% ± 2.3%) was significantly less than with quercetin (5.1% ± 2.7%). Changes in blood XO, IL-6, and uric acid from B1 to B2 were +47%, +77%, and +25%, respectively, with no difference by treatment. In conclusion, repeated-sprint performance was not improved by quercetin supplementation and was worse than with placebo when expressed as %FD. Quercetin did not attenuate indicators of XO activity or IL-6, a marker of the inflammatory response after sprint exercise.

Effect of ingesting a honey-sweetened beverage on soccer performance and exercise-induced cytokine response.

PURPOSE: This study compared the effect of a honey-sweetened beverage with those of a commercial sports drink and a placebo on performance and inflammatory response to a 90-min soccer simulation. METHODS: Ten experienced male soccer players randomly performed 3 trials (honey [H], sports drink [S], and placebo [P]), consuming the beverage before and during halftime for a total of 1.0 g/kg carbohydrate for H and S. Performance measures included 5 sets (T1-T5) of a high-intensity run and agility and ball-shooting tests followed by a final progressive shuttle-run (PSR) test to exhaustion. Blood samples were drawn pretest, posttest (B2), and 1 hr posttest (B3) for markers of inflammation, oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC), and hormone response. RESULTS: T2-T5 were significantly slower than T1 (p < .05), and a decrease in PSR time was observed from baseline (-22.9%) for all treatments. No significant effect of the interventions was observed for any performance measures. Plasma IL-1ra levels increased posttest for all treatments (65.5% S, 63.9% P, and 25.8% H), but H was significantly less than S at posttest and P at B3. Other cytokines and ORAC increased at B2 (548% IL-6, 514% IL-10, 15% ORAC) with no difference by treatment. CONCLUSION: Acute ingestion of honey and a carbohydrate sports drink before and during a soccer-simulation test did not improve performance, although honey attenuated a rise in IL-1ra. Ingestion of carbohydrate and/ or antioxidant-containing beverages at frequencies typical of a regulation match may not be beneficial for trained soccer players.