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Portland, Maine

UNE’s Michele Polacsek publishes articles in three prominent journals

Michele Polacsek is a co-author of a new article published in 'The BMJ'
Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., M.H.S.

Michele Polacsek, Ph.D., M.H.S., professor of public health and director of the Center for Excellence in Public Health at the University of New England, is the co-author on three journal articles published this week.

The first, published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, evaluates the changes in the calorie content of prepared foods at two large U.S. supermarket chains following the April 2017 implementation of calorie labels. The study found that prepared bakery items decreased by 7.7 calories per item after calorie labels were implemented and that industry changes brought on by policy could lead to reductions in caloric intake.

Published in the Journal of Nutrition, Education and Behavior, Polacsek’s second article describes the grocery shopping patterns of people who shopped both online and in store. When shopping online, participants spent more per transaction and purchased more items. Compared with in-store shopping, shopping online was associated with reduced spending per transaction on candy, cold or frozen desserts, and grain-based desserts. Online shopping was associated with lower spending on certain unhealthy, impulse-sensitive foods. The researchers concluded that grocery based healthy eating initiatives might leverage online ordering platforms to increase their reach and effectiveness.

The third article, published in Public Health Nutrition, describes shopper characteristics of online and in-store shoppers in one Maine community. Being female, having a greater number of children, and a higher income were significantly associated with the likelihood of shopping online. Reducing barriers to increase availability of online shopping for low-income families is paramount, Polacsek said.

About the University of New England

The University of New England is Maine’s largest independent university, with two beautiful coastal campuses in Maine, a one-of-a-kind study abroad campus in Tangier, Morocco, and an array of flexible, accredited online degrees. In an uncommonly welcoming and supportive community, we offer hands-on learning, empowering students to make a positive impact in a world full of challenges. The state’s top provider of health professionals, we are home to Maine’s only medical college, Maine’s only dental college, a variety of other interprofessionally aligned health care degree programs, as well as nationally recognized programs for marine science degrees, natural and social sciences degrees, arts and humanities degrees, and business degrees.