Frustrating' funding limits professor's program

Health habits developed in the college years are those that most students take through the rest of their lives, according to Nutrition Professor Christina Economos. Her Tufts Longitudinal Health Study (TLHS) has revealed many new ways to analyze data about student health habits, such as this, that have resulted in change on campus, but the project's funding is now in jeopardy.

The TLHS has spent five years inspecting student practices at the University and the troubling findings are being used to improve Tufts dining and athletic programs, as well as to educate and promote wellness nationally.

While the health findings may be representative of campuses across the nation, the longitudinal study is unique to Tufts. "People will do a one-year type study," Economos said. "We're the only ones doing it [long term]."

Support from the University for this study remains high, but exhausted funding poses a problem for continuing the study and the development of new programs.

Internal funding came from the University at one time, Economos said, "but it's since dried up." Economos is now seeking federal funding from the National Institute for Health and Centers of Disease Control.

She recently wrote a grant proposal for the development of a website that would have instructed students how to put together a healthy meal based on the dining options available to them, but it was rejected by another sponsor.

"It's been very frustrating," she said. "But I'm not going to give up, I'm going to keep fighting."

A gap in college student wellness services motivated Economos to begin her research, she said. Before making recommendations as to what types of programs colleges should offer Economos wanted to understand students better.

"I think we can make a statement nationwide with these results that can help college students," she said. "These findings are true of probably millions of students around the country in private universities."

And the results have been worrisome.

The study found participants to be consuming too little calcium and other minerals. Students are also lacking in dietary fiber consumption, as well as fruit and vegetable intake. They are getting too much saturated fat and alcohol and not exercising enough.

Cardiovascular problems, osteoporosis, cancer, and diabetes are just some of the health risks associated with these habits.

But the problem does not lie with University dining choices, Economos said. "I think [healthy food options] are available," she said. "The dining hall is a business that operates on supply and demand. If students just continue to eat top-sellers, students have to take some responsibility and say I can eat these things _ just not twice a day."

Collecting data on students' nutritional habits is essential to demonstrate the need for change to Dining Services. They would be quite willing to change "if there was some data that would indicate a different direction that [they] should be taking," Nutrition Marketing Specialist Julie Lampie said.

Inventory shows that unhealthy foods are disappearing. Lampie said that Dining Services pays much attention to current health trends, "reacting to them and trying to be proactive."

"When we sense trends beginning we try to jump on the bandwagon," she said.

Using her TLHS research, Economos has been working closely with Director Bill Gehling of the Athletic Department to increase student awareness and participation in athletic activities.

Implementing programs to react to the study's findings is a 'priority' for Gehling who said that these types of programs could benefit students at other universities. "My belief is that this is a cultural phenomenon and not simply a Tufts phenomenon," he said.

One recent change was the addition of pre-orientation program for physical and personal development (FIT), which was designed to introduce students to Tufts and the fitness options available to them, according to Assistant Director of Athletics Branwen Smith-King.

University dining options and athletic facilities were explained to the incoming freshmen, who were also presented with the results of some of Economos' study. The following day, students went sea-kayaking and participated in other health exercises.

Orientation was the perfect opportunity to present Economos' research to new students and "to get them on the right track," Smith-King said.

"This is not just for health but for mental health," she said. "Make a decision about how you want the rest of your life to be."

Another Athletics Department initiative implemented using the study's findings is the Tufts Personalized Performance Program, which matches participants with one of five student or graduate trainers to work one on one bettering physical fitness.

But it will be difficult to further develop these programs without more funding.

Students currently pay $125 to participate in the pre-orientation, which is less than what is charged for other programs like Wilderness and FOCUS. Because it is a pre-orientation activity, it is not likely to get any funding to grow from the University.

"All of the pre-orientation programs are self-sustaining," Dean of Students Bruce Reitman said. "They're optional programs beyond regular orientation."

But FIT has the potential to become something more by tracking students over time, Smith-King said. "If this develops it could take on a life of its own," she said. "We could really be distinctive from other colleges and universities."

"If you want to grow and build on this program, we need more money," she said.

Other program ideas Economos envisions include a website similar to the University of Colombia's Ask Alice where there is an ongoing health chat with professor feedback. She also wants to see cooking and time management classes, and the learning of lifelong skills like hiking, kayaking, or yoga. Things "to take with you for life," she said, "where you can meet new people, and take care of yourself."

These future developments cannot be implemented until funding is in place, however. "Lots of times, I think maybe an alumnus would want their name on this, an individual donor," she said. Economos hopes the quality and significance of the project, will motivate others to get involved.