Christine Ferguson

University of Alabama at Birmingham | UAB · Department of Nutrition Sciences

Objectives: To assess the present use of dietary supplements among the Parkinson disease (PD) population and to determine which dietary supplements are most commonly taken. Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online questionnaire that was administered to individuals with PD via support group Web sites. Dietary supplement users also were...

Background and objectives: In long-term care facilities in the United States, certified nursing assistants (CNAs) provide mealtime assistance to residents with dementia, a task that substantially increases caregiver burden due to the time and attention required. The aim of this qualitative study was to explore the individual and interpersonal barr...

Background & Aims The visceral adiposity index (VAI) has been shown to be a reliable estimate of visceral adiposity, but little is known about its association with specific dietary patterns such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, particularly in older adults. Many studies have shown the DASH diet to be beneficial for cardio...

Background People with physical disabilities (PWD) have a higher prevalence of obesity than populations without disability, but most evidence‐based weight loss programs have not included this population. The State of Slim ( SOS ) program is an evidence‐based weight loss program that has demonstrated success in producing weight loss in populations w...

Background: Practitioners and researchers often adapt tools, practices, and programs to meet the needs of culturally diverse population groups, but do not consider populations with disability. While there is some research on guidelines for adapting evidence-based programs, there is no systematic process for adapting survey instruments. Rather than...

During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, symptoms of infection varied widely among adults younger than 60 years. This cross-sectional investigation of adults ages 18–59 years explored associations between SARS-CoV-2 symptomatology and supplementation of micronutrients involved in immune function, such as multivitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C...

Research Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week telewellness program, MENTOR (Mindfulness, Exercise and Nutrition to Optimize Resilience), on diet quality among people with physical disabilities. Design A retrospective study of people with disabilities (PWD) who participated in the MENTOR program from January to December 2021....

Research Objectives To evaluate the effectiveness of an eight-week telewellness program for improvements in nutrition knowledge among people with physical disabilities. Design Retrospective study of people with disabilities who participated in the Mindfulness, Exercise, and Nutrition to Optimize Resilience (MENTOR) Program from January-December 20...

Background: Interventions to prevent and treat obesity-related conditions often comprise multiple behavioral and pharmacological components. Very little is known about the possible independent or synergistic effects of intervention components on disease risk and progression, and the data supporting intervention adaptations are lacking. The objectiv...

Background: Randomization is critical for reducing biases that affect statistical inference in intervention studies. However, allocation to a preferred vs. non-preferred treatment may affect study engagement and outcomes. The aims of this study were to report participant preferences for study conditions in a pilot Sequential Multiple Assignment Ran...

Objective: The purpose of this mixed methods study was to explore the impact of COVID-19 on the ability of people with Parkinson disease (PwPs) and their care-partners to perform food-related activities (FRA) and PwPs’ overall diet quality. Methods: Using a convergent parallel mixed methods design, PwPs and their care-partners completed virtual dya...

Objectives: The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore factors associated with the ability of people with PD to perform food-related activities (FRAs). Methods: Eleven dyads, older adults with Parkinson disease (PD) and their care-partners ( n = 22), completed virtual semi-structured interviews guided by the Social Cognitive Theory (SCT)...

There is a need for more Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs) trained to provide nutritional care to older adults with dementia who experience mealtime difficulties. The purpose of this single-arm, pre/post pilot study was to adapt a generalized dementia care curriculum to the learning needs of RDNs who work with individuals with dementia and...

Objectives People with physical disabilities (PWD) are at increased risk for developing obesity and weight-related comorbidities compared to the general population. While some barriers to weight loss (WL) are known, many behavioral, environmental, and psychological contributors to WL and weight loss maintenance (WLM) have yet to be identified for P...

Objectives During the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic, older adults were identified as a vulnerable population at high risk for severe illness and mortality. However, symptoms of infection varied widely among adults younger than 50 years old. While some younger adults experienced severe illness, as many as 40% of infected persons remained asy...

Research supports the role of diet in the onset and progression of Parkinson disease (PD); however, there is no specific dietary pattern recommended for PD. This is partially due to a paucity of in-depth data on the dietary practices of this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to qualitatively explore the dietary practices and moti...

Background: With the increasing prevalence of older adults with dementia, there is a need for healthcare providers, including Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (RDNs), skilled in geriatric and dementia care Objective: This qualitative study aimed to explore what dementia care training RDNs have received, investigate if this training is adequate to...

Research Snapshot Purpose: This study aimed to explore Registered Dietitian Nutritionists' (RDNs) perceptions of the dementia care training they have received and determine their preferred training modalities for future dementia care training. Key Findings: Overall, dementia care training for RDNs is limited, both in terms of academic curricula and...

Research supports the need for healthcare providers who are trained in providing care to older adults with dementia. However, few training options exist for Registered Dietitians (RDs) seeking dementia care training that is specific to nutrition. The purpose of this project was to adapt an existing dementia care training curriculum to meet the lear...

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a training program using the interactive Positive Approach to Care□ dementia care curriculum to Registered Dietitians (RDs). To recruit RDs, the Alabama Dietetic Association emailed its member twice about the training opportunity, and a maximum of 25 potential participan...

The Problem: Long-term care residents with dementia are at risk for weight loss, which can increase costs of care and reduce quality of life. Barriers exist that can preclude certified nursing assistants (CNAs) from providing optimal mealtime assistance, which negatively influences residents’ nutritional status. The Resolution: Administrators shou...

In the United States, long-term care Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs)’s central role is to provide direct care to residents, including mealtime assistance. It has been reported that employee turnover among CNAs is nearly 75% annually. High turnover rates of CNAs can increase the workload for remaining CNAs, interrupt quality of care for resident...

Feeding residents with dementia in long-term care settings can be challenging, partly related to environmental factors. Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are primarily responsible for feeding residents with dementia who need assistance. Given that older adults with dementia have an increased risk of developing malnutrition, there is a need to dev...

In the United States, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) are critical in providing direct care to nursing home residents with dementia, which includes the challenging task of feeding residents. Guided by the Social Ecological Model (SEM), this qualitative study aimed to gain an in-depth understanding of organizational and policy constructs that CN...

In nursing homes across the United States, Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) provide essential mealtime assistance to residents with dementia who have difficulty feeding themselves. However, dementia-related training content in CNA programs can vary. In this qualitative study, we sought to understand the training provided to CNAs in Alabama, and...