Art 100 Written Assignment 1

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Dec 6, 2023

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Crismery Gomez The Science of Nutrition Bio-208 Dr. Lawrence F. Roberge

1 Gomez Written Assignment 1 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey The NHANES scientific study was developed in the 1960s as part of an effort to understand and measure key health components about the American population (Adults and children). The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey was intended to not only focus on improving the nutrition of the United States population but to set rules and standards on National regulations around food programs, meals and obesity topics that impact the American Public. The program was developed where mobile exam centers are sent to different areas of the Country with the goal of conducting examinations that would better capture the needs of the population in order to support sustainable solutions. The program has been around for over 50 years and continues to operates successfully following specific guidelines and standards. As first step, the entity talks to the public health providers in the area along with key officials to determine the best place to conduct the examinations. There is an internal process that takes place before determining where mobile exam centers would go next. Once a determination is made about the location, a communication gets sent out to the residents in the area selected making them aware of the survey and their needed participation. The NHANES take samples and conducts dental, medical and physiological examinations (As applicable) which are distributed later on to all participants with findings and often a financial reward. The data that NHANES collects adds a lot of value to our society and provides essential tools currently used in the health system today. A good example of this is the Growth chart that is globally used to measure if your child is growing as supposed according to the NHANES figures

2 Gomez and based on comparisons. If there is anything off with the metric or growth ratio, then the child’s condition can get furthered monitored and proactively improved by the specific recommendations provided by the health provider. Additionally, NHANES uncovered the fact that Americans had too much lead in their blood which prompted the government to phase out the use of lead as an additive in gasoline and where by the 1990s, only 4% of Americans had high levels of lead in their blood. Also, Cholesterol levels drastically declined in the Nation attributed to the NHANES testing. In the 1960’s when the program first started, one third of adults suffered from it and was reduced to less than 1 in 5 adults in the Country. These and many other great collaborations have been implemented as part of the outcomes out of these examinations conducted by NHANES. Rehm, Et al (2016) evaluates the NHANES data in his article supporting that “US surveys conducted between 1999 and 2012, revealed several improvements in self-reported dietary habits with additional findings suggesting persistent or worsening disparities based on race/ethnicity, education level, and income level”. According to this article, the major nutritional changes from 1999 to 2012 were found in consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages, whole grains, seeds, n uts, and legumes. The fact that sugar- -sweetened drinks consumption declined represents a positive outcome as well as a slightly increase in the consumption of fish, seafood and poultry. Many aspects of the American diet improved during this period “The estimated proportion of US adults with poor quality diets decreased from 55.9% to 45.6%, and the percentage with ideal diets increased but remained low (0.7% to 1.5%). (Rehm, Et al, 2016). The intake of nuts, seeds, grains and declining consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages drove this number and improved the metrics during this period. On the negative side of things, it was

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3 Gomez observed that dietary differences were highly driven by race, income, or education. The study supported that higher income participants showed a greater increased of nuts, seeds and fruits consumption when compared to the rest of the population. In fact, the diet for Mexican American and other Hispanic adults was negatively impacted by the increases in sodium and refined grains driving the number around poor diet metrics. It could be argued that the only way to improve these results involve understanding and addressing the reasons driving these trends with this part of the population and work in improving the quality of their diet specifically. An area of focus that should be prioritized in my opinion should involve those dietary exceptions in the study where improvements were not observed; Surrounding low income, minorities and other areas of concern where nutrition education is lacking. The data from this survey clearly reports how and where these enormous gaps and discrepancies exist, mainly attributed to poor habits grounded on race, education level, and income level. There should be more than enough evidence and data to make informed decisions about the type of education or resources that these groups need to make healthier decisions and foster better eating habits for the children that are getting raised in those areas of the United States.

4 Gomez References: NHANES - National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey homepage (2023) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes/index.htm (Accessed: February 12, 2023). Rehm, C.D., Peñalvo, J.L. and Mozaffarian, A.A. (2016) Diet trends among US adults, 1999- 2012 . JAMA Network. Available at: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2529628 (Accessed: February 12, 2023).

Art 100 Written Assignment 1

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