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Papers by Robert Houser

Research paper thumbnail of Two Small Surveys, 25 Years Apart, Investigating Motivations of Dietary Choice in 2 Groups of Vegetarians in the Boston Area

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 1999

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 598-601, May 1999, Author... more Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 598-601, May 1999, Authors:ESTHER HJ KIM, MS, RD; KAREN M SCHROEDER, MS, RD; ROBERT F HOUSER, PhD; JOHANNA T DWYER, DSc, RD.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of dietitian presence on outpatient cardiac rehabilitation nutrition services

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2004

To describe variations in nutrition services offered in a nationally representative sample of out... more To describe variations in nutrition services offered in a nationally representative sample of out-patient cardiac rehabilitation programs by presence of a registered dietitian (RD), a survey was conducted of 250 randomly selected centers from 1,111 US outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centers in the 1998/1999 Cardiac Rehabilitation Directory of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. A total of 190 of the 250 surveys (76%) were returned. Nutrition services offered by programs polled included distribution of nutrition pamphlets, one-on-one nutrition counseling, group nutrition classes, guest lectures on nutrition, and cooking demonstrations. Cardiac rehabilitation programs with an RD offered significantly more nutrition services on average (4.2+/-1.2) than programs without an RD (3.5+/-1.1, P=.01). Programs with RDs were more likely to offer one-on-one nutrition counseling than programs without them (98% and 80% respectively, P<.001), and they were also more likely to offer cooking demonstrations (43% and 17% respectively, P=.02). More, and a greater variety of, nutrition services are offered in cardiac rehabilitation programs that have an RD. Without an RD, exercise physiologists and registered nurses often provide some, but fewer and different, nutrition services.

Research paper thumbnail of Food and Nutrition Care Indicators: Experts’ Views on Quality Indicators for Food and Nutrition Services in Assisted-Living Facilities for Older Adults

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2007

This study assessed the views of 153 national experts in nutrition, health, and aging services in... more This study assessed the views of 153 national experts in nutrition, health, and aging services in assisted-living facilities; including gerontological nutrition (39%), foodservice (14%), aging and disability (22%), geriatric medicine (9%), and assisted living (16%); on the practices that serve as indicators of the quality of food and nutrition services provided in assisted-living facilities and ascertained the most favored style of service delivery: health, amenities, or both. An 88-item Food and Nutrition Care Indicators survey was developed from assisted-living facility regulations in 50 states and other quality indicators of nutrition services. Respondents rated each item on a scale from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important). Results show that at least 80% of experts rated the ma-jority of indicators in each domain as highly important (57% of dining room, 67% of foodservice indicators, 65% of general nutrition, and 70% of therapeutic nutrition indicators). Most experts (89%) rated a combination of indicators that included both health (general and therapeutic) and amenities service styles as being highly important. The 57 items rated most important were consolidated into a checklist. A service model that incorporates all of these elements appears to be most appropriate.

Research paper thumbnail of Practitioners' Opinions on Food and Nutrition Care Indicators in Assisted Living Facilities for Older Adults

This study assessed the utility of the 57-indicator Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist ... more This study assessed the utility of the 57-indicator Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist for assessing food and nutrition services in assisted-living facilities for older adults among registered dietitians (RDs). They were members of two American Dietetic Association practice groups focusing on aging and long-term care and were also employed in assisted-living facilities. The 1,281 respondents rated the importance of each checklist item and provided their views on the role of assisted-living facilities and their level of agreement with statements regarding the importance of residents' autonomy for making food choices and their ability to make wise dietary choices. Registered dietitians practicing in assisted-living facilities considered all of the domains on food and nutrition quality indicators on the Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist to be highly important (92% of dining room environment items, 83% of foodservice operations, 92% of general nutrition, and 89% of therapeutic nutrition items). They preferred a service style that included both health and amenities, as did national health and aging experts. Registered dietitians should work with other professionals to further validate the checklist, promote its use, and establish optimal service models for food and nutrition services in assisted-living facilities for older adults.

Research paper thumbnail of Nutrition Information Sources Vary with Education Level in a Population of Older Adults

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2006

Education level, more than any other socioeconomic factor, can predict disease risk, health behav... more Education level, more than any other socioeconomic factor, can predict disease risk, health behavior patterns, and diet quality. It has been suggested that one reason higher education promotes more healthful diets is that better-educated people may get better nutrition information. We present data from a survey examining specific sources of nutrition information among an older adult population (age Ͼ50 years, nϭ176), and compare the difference in sources associated with extent of education. Reliance on doctors, television, and neighbors was significantly higher among those with less education (PϽ0.05). Our results also show that less-educated older adults rely more upon different specific sources for their nutrition information than those who have attained a higher level of education. Strategies to improve and/or ensure the quality of the specific nutrition information sources this vulnerable group relies on may be needed.

Research paper thumbnail of Comfort and utility of school-based weight screening: the student perspective

BMC Pediatrics, 2008

Background Weight screening in schools has been proposed as one strategy to address childhood obe... more Background Weight screening in schools has been proposed as one strategy to address childhood obesity. Students' response to such screening is unexplored, however. In this study we evaluated the perceived comfort, utility and impact of school-based weight screening from the perspective of middle school-aged students. Methods A cross-sectional study of 852 ethnically diverse 5th–8th grade students. Associations were investigated between measured height and weight screening data and responses to a self-administered questionnaire completed immediately following weight screening in physical education class. BMI categories were based on the revised 2000 CDC growth chart and definitions: 5th–85th BMI percentile = healthy weight, 85th–95th BMI percentile = at risk for overweight, and >95th percentile BMI = overweight. Results Overall, students' comfort level with weight screening varied depending on the student's own weight status. More overweight students (38.1%) reported being uncomfortable than healthy weight students (8.1%) (p < 0.001). In particular, overweight female students (54.8%) compared to healthy weight female students (21.6%) reported being uncomfortable (p < 0.01). About half (54.9%) of all students reported knowing their weight prior to screening, and 58.9% reported that it was useful to learn their height and weight. Compared to healthy weight students, overweight students were significantly more likely to report the intention to perform weight modification related activities such as visiting a doctor (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3, 3.1), eating more fruits and vegetables (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.7, 4.1), and increasing physical activity (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.7, 7.0). Conclusion Overall, the majority of the middle school students did not report discomfort with school-based weight screening, did report that receiving height and weight information was useful, and generally report appropriate weight control intentions. These proportions varied across weight status categories, however, with students who were at risk for overweight or overweight reporting higher levels of discomfort. For schools that conduct weight screening, it is essential that they also provide comfortable and private settings as well as education or counseling regarding healthy weight control practices.

Research paper thumbnail of Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing intervention

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 1999

Page 1. Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing interven... more Page 1. Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing intervention Nancy J. Ross, Molly D. Anderson, Jeanne P. Goldberg, Robert Houser, and Beatrice Lorge Rogers Abstract. Although consumers ...

Research paper thumbnail of Relationships between body dissatisfaction and physical measurements

International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1990

Mass Index (BMI), and relevant anthropometric measurements, including waist and hip circumference... more Mass Index (BMI), and relevant anthropometric measurements, including waist and hip circumference and abdominal skinfold were examined in 127 freshman and sophomore women. With one exception, Spearman's rank order correlations between questions on the BD subscale and anthropometric measurements of body parts were all significant at p < .05. These correlations were strongest between 5 D components and their anatomic referents. When corrected for body fatness, only the relationship between lower trunk and relevant questions from the 5 D subscale remained significant. In an ANCOVAR design, with hip circumference as the independent variable, BMI as the adjusted covariate, and dissatisfaction with hip size as the dependent variable, main effects were highly significant (F= 7 1.7, p < .001).

Research paper thumbnail of Two Small Surveys, 25 Years Apart, Investigating Motivations of Dietary Choice in 2 Groups of Vegetarians in the Boston Area

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 1999

Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 598-601, May 1999, Author... more Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 99, Issue 5, Pages 598-601, May 1999, Authors:ESTHER HJ KIM, MS, RD; KAREN M SCHROEDER, MS, RD; ROBERT F HOUSER, PhD; JOHANNA T DWYER, DSc, RD.

Research paper thumbnail of Influence of dietitian presence on outpatient cardiac rehabilitation nutrition services

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2004

To describe variations in nutrition services offered in a nationally representative sample of out... more To describe variations in nutrition services offered in a nationally representative sample of out-patient cardiac rehabilitation programs by presence of a registered dietitian (RD), a survey was conducted of 250 randomly selected centers from 1,111 US outpatient cardiac rehabilitation centers in the 1998/1999 Cardiac Rehabilitation Directory of the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. A total of 190 of the 250 surveys (76%) were returned. Nutrition services offered by programs polled included distribution of nutrition pamphlets, one-on-one nutrition counseling, group nutrition classes, guest lectures on nutrition, and cooking demonstrations. Cardiac rehabilitation programs with an RD offered significantly more nutrition services on average (4.2+/-1.2) than programs without an RD (3.5+/-1.1, P=.01). Programs with RDs were more likely to offer one-on-one nutrition counseling than programs without them (98% and 80% respectively, P&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;.001), and they were also more likely to offer cooking demonstrations (43% and 17% respectively, P=.02). More, and a greater variety of, nutrition services are offered in cardiac rehabilitation programs that have an RD. Without an RD, exercise physiologists and registered nurses often provide some, but fewer and different, nutrition services.

Research paper thumbnail of Food and Nutrition Care Indicators: Experts’ Views on Quality Indicators for Food and Nutrition Services in Assisted-Living Facilities for Older Adults

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2007

This study assessed the views of 153 national experts in nutrition, health, and aging services in... more This study assessed the views of 153 national experts in nutrition, health, and aging services in assisted-living facilities; including gerontological nutrition (39%), foodservice (14%), aging and disability (22%), geriatric medicine (9%), and assisted living (16%); on the practices that serve as indicators of the quality of food and nutrition services provided in assisted-living facilities and ascertained the most favored style of service delivery: health, amenities, or both. An 88-item Food and Nutrition Care Indicators survey was developed from assisted-living facility regulations in 50 states and other quality indicators of nutrition services. Respondents rated each item on a scale from 1 (not important) to 5 (extremely important). Results show that at least 80% of experts rated the ma-jority of indicators in each domain as highly important (57% of dining room, 67% of foodservice indicators, 65% of general nutrition, and 70% of therapeutic nutrition indicators). Most experts (89%) rated a combination of indicators that included both health (general and therapeutic) and amenities service styles as being highly important. The 57 items rated most important were consolidated into a checklist. A service model that incorporates all of these elements appears to be most appropriate.

Research paper thumbnail of Practitioners' Opinions on Food and Nutrition Care Indicators in Assisted Living Facilities for Older Adults

This study assessed the utility of the 57-indicator Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist ... more This study assessed the utility of the 57-indicator Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist for assessing food and nutrition services in assisted-living facilities for older adults among registered dietitians (RDs). They were members of two American Dietetic Association practice groups focusing on aging and long-term care and were also employed in assisted-living facilities. The 1,281 respondents rated the importance of each checklist item and provided their views on the role of assisted-living facilities and their level of agreement with statements regarding the importance of residents' autonomy for making food choices and their ability to make wise dietary choices. Registered dietitians practicing in assisted-living facilities considered all of the domains on food and nutrition quality indicators on the Food and Nutrition Care Indicators Checklist to be highly important (92% of dining room environment items, 83% of foodservice operations, 92% of general nutrition, and 89% of therapeutic nutrition items). They preferred a service style that included both health and amenities, as did national health and aging experts. Registered dietitians should work with other professionals to further validate the checklist, promote its use, and establish optimal service models for food and nutrition services in assisted-living facilities for older adults.

Research paper thumbnail of Nutrition Information Sources Vary with Education Level in a Population of Older Adults

Journal of The American Dietetic Association, 2006

Education level, more than any other socioeconomic factor, can predict disease risk, health behav... more Education level, more than any other socioeconomic factor, can predict disease risk, health behavior patterns, and diet quality. It has been suggested that one reason higher education promotes more healthful diets is that better-educated people may get better nutrition information. We present data from a survey examining specific sources of nutrition information among an older adult population (age Ͼ50 years, nϭ176), and compare the difference in sources associated with extent of education. Reliance on doctors, television, and neighbors was significantly higher among those with less education (PϽ0.05). Our results also show that less-educated older adults rely more upon different specific sources for their nutrition information than those who have attained a higher level of education. Strategies to improve and/or ensure the quality of the specific nutrition information sources this vulnerable group relies on may be needed.

Research paper thumbnail of Comfort and utility of school-based weight screening: the student perspective

BMC Pediatrics, 2008

Background Weight screening in schools has been proposed as one strategy to address childhood obe... more Background Weight screening in schools has been proposed as one strategy to address childhood obesity. Students' response to such screening is unexplored, however. In this study we evaluated the perceived comfort, utility and impact of school-based weight screening from the perspective of middle school-aged students. Methods A cross-sectional study of 852 ethnically diverse 5th–8th grade students. Associations were investigated between measured height and weight screening data and responses to a self-administered questionnaire completed immediately following weight screening in physical education class. BMI categories were based on the revised 2000 CDC growth chart and definitions: 5th–85th BMI percentile = healthy weight, 85th–95th BMI percentile = at risk for overweight, and >95th percentile BMI = overweight. Results Overall, students' comfort level with weight screening varied depending on the student's own weight status. More overweight students (38.1%) reported being uncomfortable than healthy weight students (8.1%) (p < 0.001). In particular, overweight female students (54.8%) compared to healthy weight female students (21.6%) reported being uncomfortable (p < 0.01). About half (54.9%) of all students reported knowing their weight prior to screening, and 58.9% reported that it was useful to learn their height and weight. Compared to healthy weight students, overweight students were significantly more likely to report the intention to perform weight modification related activities such as visiting a doctor (Odds ratio (OR) = 2.0, 95% CI = 1.3, 3.1), eating more fruits and vegetables (OR = 2.7, 95% CI = 1.7, 4.1), and increasing physical activity (OR = 4.3, 95% CI = 2.7, 7.0). Conclusion Overall, the majority of the middle school students did not report discomfort with school-based weight screening, did report that receiving height and weight information was useful, and generally report appropriate weight control intentions. These proportions varied across weight status categories, however, with students who were at risk for overweight or overweight reporting higher levels of discomfort. For schools that conduct weight screening, it is essential that they also provide comfortable and private settings as well as education or counseling regarding healthy weight control practices.

Research paper thumbnail of Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing intervention

American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, 1999

Page 1. Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing interven... more Page 1. Trying and buying locally grown produce at the workplace: Results of a marketing intervention Nancy J. Ross, Molly D. Anderson, Jeanne P. Goldberg, Robert Houser, and Beatrice Lorge Rogers Abstract. Although consumers ...

Research paper thumbnail of Relationships between body dissatisfaction and physical measurements

International Journal of Eating Disorders, 1990

Mass Index (BMI), and relevant anthropometric measurements, including waist and hip circumference... more Mass Index (BMI), and relevant anthropometric measurements, including waist and hip circumference and abdominal skinfold were examined in 127 freshman and sophomore women. With one exception, Spearman's rank order correlations between questions on the BD subscale and anthropometric measurements of body parts were all significant at p < .05. These correlations were strongest between 5 D components and their anatomic referents. When corrected for body fatness, only the relationship between lower trunk and relevant questions from the 5 D subscale remained significant. In an ANCOVAR design, with hip circumference as the independent variable, BMI as the adjusted covariate, and dissatisfaction with hip size as the dependent variable, main effects were highly significant (F= 7 1.7, p < .001).