Middle and high school children in Montgomery County and their families

Montgomery County middle and high school students and their families

Childhood Obesity and Nursing Interventions to Reduce Its Impact

Childhood obesity has reached epidemic proportions in most industrialized economies, making it one of the world's most serious public health issues. Almost 25% of youngsters in the United States of America are overweight, and another 10% are obese.This accounts for more than 35% of the children’s population being vulnerable to diseases associated with this condition. According to Johson and Johnson,(2015), about 65% of adolescents considered to be obese continue with this condition to maturity. This accounts to the reason why two out of every three adults in the United States are obese or overweight. Since 2004, the rate of prevalence of obesity has doubled with more than 30% of this population being overweight (BMI ranging between 25.0 and 29.9). Further, about 35% of the population of the elderly people is obese (BMI≥ 30). On the other hand, about 6% of the adults’ population is extremely obese with a BMI≥ 40. The United States of America has seen the rate of obesity in children aged between 6 and 11 quadrupling in the past four decades. The rate has tripled for adolescents aged between 12 and 19 years over the same period (Ogden, Caroll, Kit and Flegal, 2014).

In Montgomery County, 39% of the adults are overweight with BMI ranging between 25 and 29.9. Further, it is crithocal to note that about 25% of the adults’ population in this county is obese. On the other hand, about 24% of the children aged between 6 and 17 years in Montgomery face the risk of becoming obese. Racially, Latino children face the greatest risk for obesity with the percentage lying at 37.4%. On the other hand, 23% of the White children in Montgomery County face the risk of being obese while the Black account for 32%. According to the Public Health Management Corporation’s database on community health, 12% of the children in Montgomery are in the 95th BMI for age percentile (Chemag and Narayan, 2016). According to the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (2000) carried out in Montgomery County, it was clear that about 19% of Montgomery’s children are not physically active with about 56% lacking the opportunity for undertaking physical exercises at least thirty minutes daily.

Nursing Diagnosis

Childhood obesity is diagnosed based on the patient’s medical history. In this case, physical examinations are carried out as a way of confirming the individual’s body mass index (BMI). Further, the child’s waist circumference may be used as a measure of the extents to which the patient under consideration is overweight or obese (Johnson and Johnson, 2015).

Obesity is a condition that occurs when an individual’s total energy intake goes beyond their rates of energy expenditure. The rising prevalence of obesity on a global scale could be attributed to the multiple etiologies leading to food intake- food expenditure imbalances. Genetic factors are known to influence the extents of susceptibility ton environments that promote obesity. Despite this, it is important to put into consideration the fact that lifestyle preferences, environmental factors and cultural factors are critical issues in the rise of obesity all over the world. To a smaller extent, obesity in children is associated with genes like leptin deficiency and cases of medication such as side effects of drugs like steroids, hypothyroidism and deficiencies in growth hormones. However, personal lifestyle and cultural environments have been identified as the key causes for childhood obesity (Ogden, Carroll, Kit and Fl;egal, 2014).

Behavioral and social factors

Diet has been looked at as the key cause of obesity. Currently, the perception of food has changed from as source of nourishment to a source of pleasure ion different groups of people. Currently, children have adopted the habit of consuming high calories fast foods. This has caused caloric imbalances in children. Accumulation of such imbalances for a longer period of time is known to cause obesity. Fat intake has a positive correlation with the extents of adiposity among children. Increased consumption of dietary fats has been looked at as a significant cause of obesity among children (Johnson and Johnson, 2015).

According to Chemag and Narayan (2016), the current steady declines in the extents to which children at different age groups are involved in physical exercises has heavily contributed to the increasing numbers of childhood obesity cases. It is important to note that lack of physical activity limits the extents to which energy is used, leading to weight gain. Currently, children have adopted sedentary games such as video games and hobbies like watching videos. Such activities have been attributed to the i9ncreasing levels of childhood obesity. Further, Johnson and Johnson (2015) explain that there has been an increase in the number of children being driven to school. Apart from this, these children end up being dormant in participating in school activities like sports and physical education. Adolescent girls have been identified as the greatest vulnerable group based on the fact that they tend to decrease their extents of involvement in physical activities at school.

Readiness for Learning

Based on the nature of the population of target, physical readiness, emotional readiness, experiential readiness and knowledge readiness will be required to initiate learning. Diabetes is a condition of weight gain. In this case, physical readiness will be required on the side of the patient. The tasks to be performed will require manual dexterity and higher levels of physical energy outputs particularly in instances where physical exercise will be taught as a way of reducing the effects of obesity. In other instances, patients may be in poor states of health which may limit their motivations towards learning. According to Chemag and Narayan (2016), gender is one of the critical aspects of physical readiness that needs to be considered when educating patients suffering from obesity. According to Ogden, Carroll, Kits and Flegal (2014), males have lower tendencies of seeking health intervention measures in comparison to their female characters.

Emotional readiness is a function of the levels of anxiety of the patient, the strength of support systems, stage of development, mind frame of the patient, the behavior of taking risks and motivation. Anxiety may influence learning both positively and negatively. Younger children tend to show lower levels in their readiness of learning in comparison to their adolescent counterparts. Further, frame of mind of the people to be educated plays a significant role as it dictates the priorities of the student. On the other hand, the behavior of taking risks among students shall, play a critical role ion enabling them undertake the activities to be learned.

Johnson and Johnson (2015) define experiential readiness as the previously learnt experiences which may influence new learning either positively or negatively. In this case, the levels of aspiration of the students, coping mechanisms, orientation, locus of control and cultural backgrounds need to be considered. The short term and long term goals of the learners on their health statuses may influence their levels of motivation.

Learning Theory to be utilized

In conducting patient education, the humanistic learning theory will be utilized. According to this theory, all individuals are unique and have the desires of undergoing positive growth. However, the desires for such growth may be hindered by systems in our societies (Ogden, Carroll, Kits and Flegal, 20-14). To put this theory into practice, I would advise the learners to make use of their emotions and feelings as guiding factors towards coming up with the suitable decisions about their health statuses. The humanistic perspective derives motivation from the needs and subjective feelings about self. I would encourage all obese learners to get the motivation of weight loss from their conditions while disregarding the negative social influences they may face.

Goal of Teaching

The teachings in this studies will be driven by the Healthy People 2020 (HP2020)b objective (N) on Nutrition and Weight Status. HP 2020 yearns to “Promote health and reduce chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights” (People, 2015). Based on this study, patients of childhood obesity will be taught on how to eat healthy as a way of maintaining healthy body weights.

How This HP2020 Objective Relates to Alma Ata’s Health for All Global Initiatives

The Declaration of Alma-Ata puts a lot of consideration on primary care as the blueprint of healthy development. With the rising number of childhood obesity cases, weight control is becoming an issue of concern for primary healthcare. This will go a long way in improving the health statuses of obese children who may be vulnerable to chronic diseases.

Behavioral Objectives (Including Domains), Content, and Strategies/Methods

Behavioral Objective and Domain

Example – Third-grade students will name one healthy food choice in each of the five food groups by the end of the presentation. (Cognitive Domain)

Content (be specific)

Example – The Food Pyramid has five food groups which are….

Healthy foods from each group are….Unhealthy foods containing a lot of sugar or fat are….

Strategies/Methods

(label and describe)

Example – Interactive poster presentation of the Food Pyramid. After an explanation of the poster and each food category, allow students to place pictures of foods on the correct spot on the pyramid. Also, have the class analyze what a child had for lunch by putting names of foods on the poster and discussing what food group still needs to be eaten throughout day.

1. learners enumerate unhealthy diets at home

(Cognitive Domain)

1. These are unbalanced diets. Balanced diets must have the right proportions of carbohydrates, proteins and vitamins

1. Cards containing photographs of different foods. Learners categorize them as proteins, vitamins and carbohydrates

2. Learners explain how they feel in their obese conditions

(Affective Domain)

2. Obese children tend to feel socially misplaced. Some isolate themselves.

2. Learners describe their experiences in current states

3. Learners dramatize how they would like to live after losing weight.

(Psychomotor Domain)

3. Skits comparing obese and people of normal weight in their activities help students in realizing the effects of obesity.

3. Learners make conclusions on the effects of obesity.

References

Cheung, P. C., & Narayan, K. M. (2016). Childhood Obesity Incidence in the United States: A Systematic Review (vol 12, pg 1, 2016). CHILDHOOD OBESITY, 12(3), 226-226.

Johnson Iii, J. A., & Johnson, A. M. (2015). Urban-rural differences in childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Childhood Obesity, 11(3), 233-241.

Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. Jama, 311(8), 806-814.

People, H. (2015). 2020 Objectives for Maternal. Infant, and Child Health Accessed May 10.