Health Sciences Program Student Theses, Dissertations and Capstones

Document Type

Dissertation - NSU Access Only

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Health Science

Copyright Statement

All rights reserved. This publication is intended for use solely by faculty, students, and staff of Nova Southeastern University. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, now known or later developed, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author or the publisher.

Department

College of Health Care Sciences – Health Science Department

First Advisor

Moya Alfonso

Date of original Performance / Presentation

January 2023

Publication Date / Copyright Date

1-1-2023

Abstract

Sarcopenia is a skeletal muscle disease associated with morbidity and mortality. Factors related to sarcopenia include aging, systemic diseases, physical inactivity, and inadequate energy intake. Limited evidence shows that adherence to healthier diets may improve sarcopenia symptomology levels. However, it is unclear whether the relationship between diet quality and sarcopenia is unique and independent of other factors that associate with sarcopenia. This dissertation study aims to determine whether diet quality has a unique relationship with sarcopenia symptomology independent of physical activity and energy intake, using publicly available data from NHANES 2011–2012 and 2013–2014. Eligibility criteria included adult participants aged 18 and older with measurements of sarcopenia symptomology (grip strength and skeletal muscle mass), first 24-hour recall dietary data, physical activity, and energy intake data. Diet quality was assessed using the Healthy Eating Index-2015 (HEI-2015) score. Linear regression analysis was used to determine the relationship between the component of HEI-2015 and levels of sarcopenia symptomology, with energy intake and physical activity used as covariates. Grip strength and appendicular skeletal mass index (ASMI) were found to have a linear relationship with the HEI-2015 score and its components, but the direction of the relationship differed by HEI components. Total protein foods had a positive linear relationship with grip strength and ASMI, independent of physical activity and total energy intake. The magnitudes of the unique relationship differed based on gender and race/ethnicity. Findings from this dissertation study can be applied to practice and further research in the fields of nutrition and sarcopenia.

Disciplines

Medicine and Health Sciences

Keywords

Diet quality; Grip strength; Muscle mass; Sarcopenia

Download
To access this thesis/dissertation you must have a valid nova.edu OR mynsu.nova.edu email address and create an account for NSUWorks.

Free My Thesis

If you are the author of this work and would like to grant permission to make it openly accessible to all, please click the Free My Thesis button.

  Contact Author

Share

 
COinS