The British Diet as a Nutritional Risk Factor in Cancer Among Children - Research Proposal Example

RESEARCH PROPOSAL Proposed of dissertation: The British Diet as a Nutritional Risk Factor in Cancer Among Children I. Summary Even though the incidence of cancer in children is rare, it is one of the three leading causes of deaths among children who are younger than 15 years of age. (Pillitteri 2009, p. 1582) From the quarter of a million people diagnosed with cancer in the United Kingdom every year, about one percent of these or some 1400 cases diagnosed were children and for older children this is slightly higher, with 1700 cases for teenagers and young adults. (Tobias and Hochhauser, p. 13) Although this figure is far from alarming, the numbers are significant enough to merit examination and efforts in order for it to be reduced especially if there is a capacity to do so. Today there is the recognition of the role of the perinatal – the period immediately and after birth - and childhood nutritional exposures in cancer development across the life course. According to Lucas and Sampson, there is an established role of perinatal nutrition in neurological development and the relation of maternal and perinatal nutritional status to subsequent diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, and cancer among children. (p. 153) The study on the prevention of cancer in children is, hence, important. In this regard, one of the most effective strategies is to identify the cancer risk factors in order for it to be addressed. By identifying the British diet, analyzing it, and determine its relationship to the development of cancer, this study is hoping to contribute in the reduction of deaths among children. This is highlighted by the fact that in several instances, cancer among this population tends to be overlooked. According to Tobias and Hochhauser, an abnormal cell growth and the process that produces cell tumor or those that involve blood forming elements that develop insidiously always took parents unaware, realizing the danger too late or too serious already. In studying the British diet, this author, is not only aiming to identify its relationship with cancer, but also raise awareness among children and parents by talking about a subject that they could comprehend and could do something about. I am very interested with the research topic because of I am a stakeholder in the issue, being a practitioner in the field. Furthermore, there is a sufficient research gap in the research subject within the British context as would further be supported by the following Literature Review. This study begins with the thesis that the changes in British diet has contributed to the incidence or the increase of cancer cases among children in the United Kingdom. II. Aims/Objectives People from various cultures would usually have their own beliefs in regard to the causes of cancer. Some would think that it is a consequence of the doings of some evil spirit; evil past lives, and some would believe the purely scientific, including the environmental and the psychological causes. This research would, specifically examine the British diet as a nutritional risk factor in the incidence of cancer in children. In order to achieve the main objective of this study, the secondary objectives are as follows: 1. identify the current composition of the British children’s diet; 2. use current knowledge about carcinogenesis; 3. identify the relationship between diet and the incidence of cancer among British children; and, 4. Suggest opportunities for nutritional interventions dietary interventions in cancer prevention among children specifically during infancy and childhood. III. Anticipated Outcome The current literature on unhealthy diet suggests that there is significant relationship between British diet and the incidence of cancer among children. This is expected to be demonstrated with the result of the data to be collected specifically among cancer patients. Particularly, the British dietary practices would be revealed. Then, with the data that reveals nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary practices, an authoritative correlation with cancer would be determined. IV. Anticipated Benefits Hundreds of thousands of children die from cancer every year. This is tragic given the fact that this disease could be prevented with change in lifestyle and eating habits. The investigation of this research in regard to the nutritional risk factor specifically of the British diet in cancer incidence in children allows the effective development of ways to reduce cancer risk. From here, the challenge of developing and applying diet related strategies for cancer prevention in the UK could be addressed. Furthermore, country-specific initiatives such as those that would emphasize population-based programs that integrate health in school curricula and community awareness initiatives with a content that teaches changes in risk-related behavior such as the adoption of healthy dietary practices could be developed and implemented. V. Summary of Resources There is an abundance of secondary resources on the nutritional factor in the cancer incidence among children especially in America. For example, a detailed discussion on the nutritional risk factors can be found in a study by Watson, Mufti and Mufti. One of the most important aspects of their study is the outline of the correlation of available data on nutrition knowledge, attitudes and self-reported dietary practices to the health risks such as cancer. (p. 29) The American diet is recognized as one that falls short of meeting the dietary guidelines recommended by several health authorities and organizations. Clearly, there would be differences in the composition of the British and American diet, however, this body of literature provides invaluable insight in regard to how high fat and caloric content could eventually lead to incidences of cancer among children. The work of Lucas and Sampson, meanwhile, provide a scientific foundation for the premise of this study as they discussed how nutritional strategies can prevent the multi-step carcinogenesis process. Particularly, they drew a schematic presentation of the process wherein they identified the stage where the nutritional intervention could successfully decrease rates of mutation and epigenetic change and maintain the growth/balance in cancer cells. (p. 154) The World Cancer Research Fund or the (WCRF), the largest cancer research organization in the United Kingdom, stressed that between 35 and 70 percent of cancer is related to eating unhealthy diet. (Agin and Jegtvig 2009, p. 29) It is hence, quite surprising that studies in this regard particularly exploring specific cases such as those of the children are quite scarce in the in the British context, particularly in how healthy diet could prevent cancer among children. For example, an extensive discussion of cancer in children could be found in the book Cancer in Children by Voute et al. However, the nutritional risk factors such as the British diet were not mentioned. Instead, other environmental, biological/genetic and physiological causes were emphasized. (see p. 9-14) These resources ensure the viability of the study not just in the context of its completion but in terms of assuring that the research, with the previously gap mentioned, has its academic significance as well for my country. The review of secondary sources underscored how the general research on the relationship between diet and cancer are in abundance. However, it also highlighted the need for more specific studies such as what this paper is going to undertake: examining how the British diet becomes a nutritional risk factor in cancer among children. The research will use mainly the qualitative approach in an attempt to: 1) examine and understand what constitutes the British diet; 2) demonstrate and measure the relationship between diet and children’s cancer; and, 3) analyze the statistics and the available data, in order to inform and reinforce the discussion and findings of this research. With the qualitative measurement in mind, a food frequency questionnaire would be formulated to measure the long-term diet of children cancer patients. Interviews would also be conducted on stakeholders such as parents and individuals from health agencies and organizations. The data to be gathered from this research, in tandem with the existing secondary data from government statistics and scientific investigations would comprise the corpus of this research analysis and findings. In essence, this research would be descriptive in nature – a research design that would allow data to be collected and analyzed so that they would validate or reject the data collected from the questionnaires as well as the existing theories and thesis that has been initially set as the objective of the study. VI. Work Plan Week 1: Draft and the submission of research proposal. Week 2: Drawing up of sample and research questionnaire. Week 3-4: Start to conduct interviews and survey of the sample. Week 5: Start and Complete Data Analysis. Week 6: First dissertation draft would be sent out for comments. Week 7: Submission of final dissertation. References Agin, B and Jegtvig, S 2009, Superfoods For Dummies. For Dummies. Pillitteri, A 2009, Maternal and Child Health Nursing: Care of the Childbearing and Childrearing Family. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Tobias, J and Hochhauser, D 2010, Cancer and Its Management. John Wiley and Sons. Voute, P, Barrett, A, Stevens, M and Caron, H 2005, Cancer in children: clinical management. Oxford University Press. Watson, R Mufti, S I, and Mufti, S 1996, Nutrition and cancer prevention. CRC Press. Read More