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Browsing by Author "Mueller, Megan, committee member"

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    Exploring the potential utility of a mindfulness-based intervention for promoting intuitive eating in adolescents
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2022) Cutler, Addie K., author; Shomaker, Lauren, advisor; Lucas-Thompson, Rachel, committee member; Mueller, Megan, committee member
    Metabolic diseases and other illnesses related to high weight are increasing in prevalence, which is of particular concern in adolescent populations due to the long-term health implications. Intuitive eating (IE), the ability to eat when hungry, stop when satisfied, and consume the foods that one prefers, has been inversely associated with body mass index (BMI; kg/m2) and, as such, is a construct of interest in the field of adolescent wellness. In theory, adolescent IE would be related to both greater mindfulness and less disordered eating. Yet, relatively few studies have examined IE in adolescents and even fewer studies have explored whether mindfulness-based intervention affect IE in adolescents. In this master's thesis, I explored the effects of a mindfulness-based intervention on increasing dispositional mindfulness and increasing IE in adolescents at risk for excess weight gain using baseline and 3-year follow-up data from a pilot randomized controlled trial of N=54 adolescent girls (55%) and boys 12-17 years old who were experiencing above-average weight or had a family history of experiences with obesity. Youth were randomized to either a mindfulness-based group intervention or health education control group for 6 hours spread over 6 consecutive weeks. Mindfulness and disordered eating were measured on validated self-report instruments at baseline and 3-year follow-up. IE was measured through adolescents' report on the Intuitive Eating Scale-2, measured only at 3-year follow-up. There were no significant differences between groups in mindfulness, disordered eating, or IE at 3-year follow-up. Disordered eating at 3-year follow-up was negatively correlated with total average IE at 3-year follow-up. These findings are limited based on the small, pilot nature of the study indicating that further research is needed in this area.
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    Farmers markets as facilitators of eco-habitus
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2024) Barnhardt, KM, author; Hastings, Orestes P., advisor; Carolan, Michael, committee member; Mueller, Megan, committee member
    In this study, I seek to resituate eco-habitus into Pierre Bourdieu's understanding of the field to show how farmers markets can structure themselves as facilitators of spaces where all individuals, specifically those with low economic and cultural capital, can enact their eco-habitus. To ask how farmers markets can achieve this, I explore what predictors lead to a market accepting the United States Department of Agriculture's, Food and Nutrition Services, Nutrition Programs (NP), as forms of payment, the presence of nutrition and health programs, and food donation and conservation programs. I also provide a breakdown of the types of programming markets provide. To examine, this I conducted an original national survey of farmers market managers (N=473). I combined this with data from the American Community, County Presidential Election Returns, and the US Census. Logistic regression results indicate more liberal counties have a higher probability of accepting NP and having food donation programs, while more urban counties have a higher probability of having nutrition programming. Markets in more affluent counties are less likely to accept NP, while urban counties with higher percentages of people of color, and low-income individuals, suggest these individuals still possess eco-habitus but might be pulling from non-dominate ethical repertories commonly associated with eco-habitus. This study offers a critique of farmers market and who has access to them, contributes to the growing literature on eco-habitus, and attempts to resituate eco-habitus into Bourdieu's understanding of field. It also provides a national survey of farmers market managers.
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    The impact of message type and format on consumers' food quality perceptions and decision-making in online grocery purchasing
    (Colorado State University. Libraries, 2021) Tilak, Elizabeth Frances, author; Abrams, Katie, advisor; Anderson, Ashley A., committee member; Graham, Dan J., committee member; Long, Marilee, committee member; Mueller, Megan, committee member
    According to the Total Food Quality Model (TFQM), consumers evaluate many food messages and cues in order to assess food quality during the food purchase decision-making process. Consumers couple food cues with their own knowledge, interests, skills, memories, and values in an iterative process as they assess food quality. The presentations of food cues and messages are important in this food quality assessment process for a number of reasons. First of all, the type of food messages can impact this process. Sensory messages elicit a different impact on food quality decisions than do health-related food messages. Secondly, the presentation format of food messages can impact consumer attention to messages, in addition to the resulting attitude and willingness-to-purchase products in online purchasing decisions. When products are presented in an online format, consumers are restricted in their abilities to fully assess a product's physical, general, and abstract characteristics compared to when shopping in a brick-and-mortar store. These product characteristics of tangibility are limited in the online format; minimal tangibility can negatively increase consumer uncertainty, increase perceived risk, and decrease willingness-to-purchase online products. Presentation formats that enhance media richness, including increasing vividness and interactivity, have been shown to support tangibility and minimize consumer uncertainty and perceived risk, and strengthen attitudes. In the online grocery purchasing environment, low levels of media richness are employed; food product presentation is limited to static photos, price, size, and minimal ingredient and nutrition information. Finally, online food messages and presentation format may impact food quality decision-making. This could impact evaluations of healthful foods in the online venue in order to support increased positive attitude and willingness-to-purchase these foods. The following research experiment is an online within-subject design study in which factors of message type and message format are manipulated in six different treatment conditions. A total of 242 subjects participated in the study from a sample population of undergraduate college students. A one-way repeated measures analysis model was used to measure main effects of the message treatment conditions. Potential interactive effects of health interest and knowledge were included in the model. Results showed that no main effects were observed among any of the message treatment conditions. No interactive effects were observed from any of the potential covariates, including health interest and knowledge. It is concluded that the message type and message formats displayed in this study were not effective in impacting variations in participant attitude and willingness-to-purchase the food products in the online grocery simulation. Future research should investigate aspects of online food specific message types and degrees of media rich presentations that may positively impact participant food quality choice factors, particularly for foods that are encouraged for public health benefit.