{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76223"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/76223","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"A comparison of root diameter and protein content of hair to serum protein, urinary nitrogen, and diet in preschool children","abstract":"The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of hair root diameter and protein/root as a practical and reliable field method for assessment of protein nutritional status. Subjects were thirty-five Caucasian preschool children from rural low-income families. Hair root diameter and protein/root were compared to urinary nitrogen/creatinine ratio, height-age percentile, weight-age percentile, total serum protein, and serum albumin. Low but statistically significant correlation coefficients were found for hair root diameter to protein/root and for hair root diameter to serum albumin and TSP. No relationship was shown between hair and the other parameters measured. Mean hair root diameters and percentage anagen and telogen roots greatly exceeded the suggested standards. The suggested standards are based on research with Negroid and Asian hair while Caucasian hair was studied in this research. Racial differences in hair parameters may exist. All subjects had diets which exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein but a large number had diets lower than recommended in iron, niacin, and calories. Children whose diets were low in calories had mean hair root bulb diameters close to the group mean root diameter. There was a larger number than expected of underweight and undersized children when heights and weights were compared to standards. It is recommended that future studies relating hair parameters to protein nutrition have larger numbers of subjects or greater dietary control than was possible in this study.","abstract_html":"The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of hair root diameter and protein/root as a practical and reliable field method for assessment of protein nutritional status. Subjects were thirty-five Caucasian preschool children from rural low-income families. Hair root diameter and protein/root were compared to urinary nitrogen/creatinine ratio, height-age percentile, weight-age percentile, total serum protein, and serum albumin. Low but statistically significant correlation coefficients were found for hair root diameter to protein/root and for hair root diameter to serum albumin and TSP. No relationship was shown between hair and the other parameters measured. Mean hair root diameters and percentage anagen and telogen roots greatly exceeded the suggested standards. The suggested standards are based on research with Negroid and Asian hair while Caucasian hair was studied in this research. Racial differences in hair parameters may exist. All subjects had diets which exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein but a large number had diets lower than recommended in iron, niacin, and calories. Children whose diets were low in calories had mean hair root bulb diameters close to the group mean root diameter. There was a larger number than expected of underweight and undersized children when heights and weights were compared to standards. It is recommended that future studies relating hair parameters to protein nutrition have larger numbers of subjects or greater dietary control than was possible in this study.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Spencer, Elizabeth S."],"institution":"Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Human Nutrition and Foods","degree_department":"Human Nutrition and Foods","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":1973,"date_issued":"1973","date_published":"1973","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:56Z","subjects":[],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76223","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Human Nutrition and Foods"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Spencer, Elizabeth S."]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2017-03-10T20:13:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-03-10T20:13:29Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1973"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Human Nutrition and Foods"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76223"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of hair root diameter and protein/root as a practical and reliable field method for assessment of protein nutritional status. Subjects were thirty-five Caucasian preschool children from rural low-income families. Hair root diameter and protein/root were compared to urinary nitrogen/creatinine ratio, height-age percentile, weight-age percentile, total serum protein, and serum albumin. Low but statistically significant correlation coefficients were found for hair root diameter to protein/root and for hair root diameter to serum albumin and TSP. No relationship was shown between hair and the other parameters measured. Mean hair root diameters and percentage anagen and telogen roots greatly exceeded the suggested standards. The suggested standards are based on research with Negroid and Asian hair while Caucasian hair was studied in this research. Racial differences in hair parameters may exist. All subjects had diets which exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein but a large number had diets lower than recommended in iron, niacin, and calories. Children whose diets were low in calories had mean hair root bulb diameters close to the group mean root diameter. There was a larger number than expected of underweight and undersized children when heights and weights were compared to standards. It is recommended that future studies relating hair parameters to protein nutrition have larger numbers of subjects or greater dietary control than was possible in this study."]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"dc:format.mimetype","label":"Dc Format Mimetype","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["A comparison of root diameter and protein content of hair to serum protein, urinary nitrogen, and diet in preschool children"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.department":["Human Nutrition and Foods"],"dc:creator":["Spencer, Elizabeth S."],"dc:date.accessioned":["2017-03-10T20:13:29Z"],"dc:date.available":["2017-03-10T20:13:29Z"],"dc:date.issued":["1973"],"dc:description.abstract":["The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate the use of hair root diameter and protein/root as a practical and reliable field method for assessment of protein nutritional status. Subjects were thirty-five Caucasian preschool children from rural low-income families. Hair root diameter and protein/root were compared to urinary nitrogen/creatinine ratio, height-age percentile, weight-age percentile, total serum protein, and serum albumin. Low but statistically significant correlation coefficients were found for hair root diameter to protein/root and for hair root diameter to serum albumin and TSP. No relationship was shown between hair and the other parameters measured. Mean hair root diameters and percentage anagen and telogen roots greatly exceeded the suggested standards. The suggested standards are based on research with Negroid and Asian hair while Caucasian hair was studied in this research. Racial differences in hair parameters may exist. All subjects had diets which exceeded the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein but a large number had diets lower than recommended in iron, niacin, and calories. Children whose diets were low in calories had mean hair root bulb diameters close to the group mean root diameter. There was a larger number than expected of underweight and undersized children when heights and weights were compared to standards. It is recommended that future studies relating hair parameters to protein nutrition have larger numbers of subjects or greater dietary control than was possible in this study."],"dc:description.degree":["Master of Science"],"dc:format.mimetype":["application/pdf"],"dc:identifier.uri":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/76223"],"dc:language.iso":["en"],"dc:publisher":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"],"dc:rights":["In Copyright"],"dc:rights.uri":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"dc:title":["A comparison of root diameter and protein content of hair to serum protein, urinary nitrogen, and diet in preschool children"],"dc:type":["Thesis"],"dc:type.dcmitype":["Text"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Human Nutrition and Foods"],"thesis:degree_level":["masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science"],"thesis:institution_name":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:19:56Z"}