Auburn Research Day 2021

B i omed i ca l Resea rch | Med i ca l St udent How Well Do Older Women with Mild Cognitive Impairment Comply with Dietary Guidelines? 014

Kristyn Kraus, OMS-II; Jessica Barkhouse, OMS-I; Amal Kaddoumi, PhD; Annie Kirby, PhD, RD Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine – Auburn Campus

Cognitive decline is a multifaceted disease process, more often associated with aging, but also influenced by socioeconomic status, environmental factors, genetics and diet. Diet, being a modifiable risk factor, is an important step in preventing neurological disease. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with lower risks of developing degenerative neurologic diseases like Alzheimer’s. This diet is centered around plant-based foods, with moderate amounts of dairy, poultry, eggs and seafood, and little red meat. Implementation of similar whole food diets, or the use of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA), has been shown to increase cognitive functioning, combating one of the factors in neurological decline. The purpose of this project was to characterize the dietary quality of older females in Alabama with self-diagnosed mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and compare it to the DGA, 2020-2025. We hypothesize that the participant’s dietary pattern would not adhere to the DGA. This was a cross sectional study of female participants (n-17) between ages 55-75 who completed two dietary recalls, on non-consecutive days, using the Automated Self- Administered 24-Hour Dietary Assessment Tool (ASA24). Recalls were averaged, descriptive statistics were generated and one sample t tests were used to compare participant’s food and nutrient pattern to the DGA. All statistics were run in SPSS Statistics 27. Results indicate that participants consumed on average 1850 kcals daily, which falls within the DGA recommendations for daily energy intake of females 51+ years old (p=0.79). Their macronutrient breakdown

revealed that protein accounted for 16% of energy, carbohydrate for 41% of energy and fat for 43% of energy, which is indicative of the Standard American Diet (SAD) and outside of the DGA acceptable macronutrient distribution ratio for carbohydrate (45-65%) and fat (25-35%). Evaluation of macronutrients in grams revealed protein and carbohydrate intake were significantly higher than the recommended dietary allowance (RDA; p<0.001, p=0.002, respectively). Additionally, saturated fat intake was significantly above the DGA recommendation (p=0.01). Fiber intake was significantly lower than the national guidelines (p=0.007), while the essential fatty acids, linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid, were significantly higher than the RDA (p=0.004, p=0.002, respectively). Participants met the DGA recommendation to consume <300 mg/d of cholesterol by averaging 227 mg/day (p=0.02). Additionally, participants met the recommendation for grain intake, yet did so by exceeding the recommendation for refined grain (p<0.001) and falling short of the recommendation for whole grain (p<0.001). Participants also did not consume enough vegetables (p=0.006), seafood (p<0.001), or dairy (p<0.001). Conclusively, older females with self-reported MCI from Alabama were not adherent to many of the recommendations in DGA, with overall excessive total fat, saturated fat and refined grain intake, and limited fiber, vegetable, seafood and dairy intake.

Mayra Rodriguez, PhD, MPH; Ning Cheng, PhD; Heidi Kluess, PhD; Ann Lambert, DNP, MSN; David Stephen, DO; Mary Ann Taylor, PhD; Rian Anglin, MD; Theresa McCann, PhD, MPH Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine-Auburn, Virginia; Auburn University, School of Kinesiology and School of Nursing Cl i n i ca l Resea rch | Med i ca l Facu l t y Mom Stress and Child Health (Medal) Study: A Mixed-Methods Approach to the Associations Between Maternal Experiences and Child Toxic Stress Response in Black/African-American Families: Study Protocol 015

Persons who experience chronic stress experiences early in life may have significant health inequities across the life course, including increased mortality. The MEDAL Study aims to better understanding of the dynamics between a mother and young child residing in rural counties in Alabama. With the current social climate, our intent is to explore how Black/African-American families are navigating the COVID-19 pandemic and racism/discrimination. The purpose of the study is to promote the understanding of the relationship between environmental stressors and the physiologic impact it has on the mother’s mental health and that of her child. This exploratory mixed-methods study intends to measure the relationship between a mother’s reported experiences and child indicators of stress in

dyads living in rural Alabama. The MEDAL Study will recruit 125 Black/African American mother + child dyads from two pediatric clinics located in Tallapoosa and Coosa counties in Alabama. We expect to find increased stress levels between mother and child from hair cortisol, salivary C reactive protein and blood pressures. We anticipate that children may demonstrate increased levels of stress, perhaps absorbing some of what they experience in their environment. We may also learn more about the strength between mother and child and how it grows during periods of stress. We hope to have a follow up of this cohort in the following year to determine a longitudinal comparison of their stress level scores.

15 2021 Via Research Recognit ion Day