Obesity Prevention in Hispanic Children - Research Paper Example

Obesity Prevention in Hispanic Children Obesity is a situation that influences more than one-quarter of adults and one out of five children according to the American Obesity Association (AOA). The special effects of obesity are sickness, decease, disabilities and morbidity. This disease does not receive the notice that it ought to have from the government and insurance companies. United States spends billions of dollars on healthcare and well being every year. Yet, obesity is on the rise. An estimated 70 to 74% of our US veterans are either overweight or obese. Obesity has been named the nation’s leading cause of preventable death (Das, 2005). The US Surgeon General issued a call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and obesity in 2001. Health problems related to obesity have a significant economic impact on the US health care system. In addition to health effects, obesity is associated with discrimination negative attitudes about the obese have been reported in both children and adults in our society. These attitudes often translate into discrimination in employment opportunities, housing, social and marriage opportunities. Obese individuals report higher levels of low self esteem and poor body image. Some research reports obese individuals report higher levels of depression, psychopathology, and eating disorders. It is important to note that psychological distress associated with obesity varies within different culture groups. African American and Hispanic cultures report less cultural pressure to be thin and they have higher levels of satisfaction with body image. Mirza et al. (2004) found the prevalence of obesity to be higher among Hispanic children than non-Hispanic white children. He pointed out in their study that the Hispanic children who participated in sports teams were 61% less likely to be overweight than those who did not play in sports teams. Genetic, environmental, and behavioural factors all contribute to an individual’s tendency to gain excess weight either in childhood or as an adult. The rapid increase within the last decade of overweight and obesity at the population level suggests that environmental and behavioural influences are playing a larger role than genetics. Clinical providers are an important part of influence, prevention, and treatment at the population level requires a public health approach. Risks for specific morbidities related to obesity vary with age, gender, and race. Many of the health related risks of obesity are due to coronary heart disease, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes, congestive heart failure, obstructive sleep apnea, cancer, osteoarthritis, gallstones, women’s reproductive health problems, and aggravate asthma and respiratory problems. Obesity also increases surgical risks for some procedures. In addition to health effects, obesity is associated with discrimination negative attitudes about the obese have been reported in both children and adults in our society. These attitudes often translate into discrimination in employment opportunities, housing, social and marriage opportunities. Obese individuals report higher levels of low self esteem and poor body image. Some research reports obese individuals report higher levels of depression, psychopathology, and eating disorders. It is important to note that psychological distress associated with obesity varies within different culture groups. African American and Hispanic cultures report less cultural pressure to be thin and they have higher levels of satisfaction with body image. Overweight and obesity are responsible for a large burden of diseases. An estimated 365,000 deaths in the U.S. were attributable to poor diet and physical activity in 2000. (Mokdad et al., 2005). This accounts for 15.2% of all deaths and represents the second leading cause of death after tobacco use. In the year 2000, approximately 72.7% of veterans using outpatient VHA facilities were overweight or obese. (Das et al., 2005). Overweight or obese veterans may soon match tobacco use as the leading cause of veteran health problems. Overweight and obesity have a substantial economic impact for the U.S. health care system. Costs associated with obesity can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct cost is diagnostic and treatment related expenses for obesity related conditions. Indirect refers to lost wages by people unable to work due to obesity related illness or disability. The most recent figures available are from the year 2000. Estimated direct costs are approximately $61 billion and indirect costs are estimated at about $56 billion for a total of $117 billion (Wadden, 2003). Most of the cost associated with obesity is due to Type 2 diabetes, coronary heart disease and hypertension. These estimates are based on the general population. Costs for the Veterans Administration are likely to be substantial. Weight is a sensitive topic for many people, including veterans, patients, and staff. The staff will remain sensitive when discussing issues related to overweight and obesity. The most preferred term is “Weight” followed by “Excess Weight”, and “BMI”. The clinic can become weight friendly by ensuring the patients are weighed in private. The objective of Healthy People 2010, concerning obesity, involves many issues and attributes. A few objectives are reducing overweight adults, healthy weight in children, food intake and nutrition, school nutrition, nutrition counselling and food security. All of these issues would help reduce chronic diseases and promote health with diet and exercise. To reduce obesity a policy would be adopted by the government. Insurance companies would give a discount to people who would fit the criteria of obesity. If a person were within weight limits, a discount would be given to them through insurance rates. Prevention is the key and the goal of controlling obesity in adults and children also providing activities for families, through city agencies, that would not be a financial burden to the people that are considered low-income. This information needs to be measured in such a way that nationally, state and local entities can access such information. Strengthen state and community monitoring systems that will link nutrient and exercise (Healthy People 2010) also receiving commitments from the public and private entities that will be involved, including government, physicians and insurance companies. Obstacles may get in the way of reducing obesity in the United States. Income status, none or little activity, race, gender or family genetics are all barriers that could increase the probability of staying obese. If Americans, as a whole, fight this up coming disease with full force and the backing of the government then the reduction of obesity will happen. Education of nutrition and what is enough for our children will decrease the amount of obesity as adults in the future. The goal is to have a healthier and stronger America. Methodology As several literatures, have concluded in their report, that lack of physical activity and unhealthy eating are the 2 main causes of childhood obesity, for the purpose of this thesis, the research method would concentrate on prevention that are tailored to individual practice and the environmental factor associated with this choice. As earlier stated that preventing childhood obesity would involve a collective responsibility and multiple stakeholders, to achieve the desire result a “Socio-Ecological Model” would be used. As the model will tackle 4 factors/behaviors (Personal factor, environmental, societal and physiological factor), that are linked to childhood obesity. Several visits will be made to these communities to provide baseline knowledge of foods and physical activity available, with this basic information would be used to formulate the required education to prevent obesity in this communities. Underlying the purpose and research question of the study conducted, the research design that is selected for the study is an exploratory correlational research design. While the use of an experimental research design is critical for the purpose of predicting and /or establishing causal relationship, as explained by Zechmeister, Zechmeister and Shaughnessy (1997), the implementation of a correlational research design has permitted the researcher to explore and discover relationships amongst a large number of variables within a study. In correlational research, according Zechmeister et. al., the main purpose is to establish whether two variables are related, and if so, establish the direction of the observed relationship. According to Zechmeister et al., (1997), correlational research may be considered to be non-experimental in that there is no manipulation of the independent variable and no attempt to established causality. Instead variables are simply measured to determine if a correlational relationship exist between them. As explained by Zechmeister et al., survey research represents a general approach to be used when the correlational research design is implemented. Survey research is the method of gathering data from respondents thought to be representative of some population using an instrument composed of close structure or open-ended items (questions). It is one of the most dominant forms of data collection in the social sciences providing for efficient collection of data over broad populations, amenable to self-administration, administration in person, by telephone, via mail and over the internet. There are many advantages that have been identified in the use of the survey method. According to Babbie (2001), these advantages include: 1. One can collect a large amount of adapt in a fairly short time. 2. Surveys are easier and less expensive than other forms of data collection. 3. Questionnaire can be used to research almost any aspect of human perceptions regarding the variables under study. 4. They can be easily used n field settings. Sample The population of interest for this study includes randomly selected Hispanic children. It is projected that the sample will consist of 100 Hispanic children from 8 to 15 years. For the purpose of study a form of non-probability sampling used. As explained by Trochim (2001, 23), in purposive sampling, the researcher samples with a purpose in mind from one or more specific and predefined groups, believed to be representative of the larger population of interest. Trochim (2001, 23), noted that one of the benefits of purposive sampling is that it can be very useful for situations in which the researcher wants to reach a targeted group that otherwise might not be readily available. Instrument The instrument used in this study is the questionnaire consists of three demographic questions and there were remaining 15 questions regarding the physical activities and diet of these children. Five point Likert scale for measure used in the questions in which 1 = Strongly Disagree to 1 = Strongly Agree. A well design questionnaire is critical for achieving the purposes of survey research. Additionally, concerns with validity (i.e. the degree to which an instrument measures what it was intended to measure) and reliability (i.e. the degree to which an instrument provides measurements that are consistent and accurate) must always be at the forefront of the questionnaire selection/construction process. For the purposes of the study, a questionnaire is located and used for which validity and reliability have already been established. Data Collection The survey method will be used as the means by which data is collecting within the study. Prior to initiating the data collection phase of the study, permission to conduct the survey, obtained from appropriate officials. Data collection will commence once approval granted. Questionnaires and the cover letter explaining the purpose of the survey and anonymity associated with participation in the survey will be distributed among the participants and will be collected from them upon completion of the questionnaire. Data Analysis In order to process and organize the data, a database will be created by using a computer data base software program, (i.e., SPSS). The questionnaire selected has a scale response format, which allow for a number to be assigned for which response given for each item. For each respondent, the numerical response provided for each item as well as descriptive data obtained during survey, then entered into the database during the data-coding phase of the study. Within the study following the recommendations of Trochim (2001, 24) statistical analysis are conducted through a progression or series of analysis using the SPSS. During the initial phase descriptive statistics will be used to describe and summarize the data obtain within the study. The second phase of analysis will be focused on the use of multivariate analysis to determine the relationship between specific items. This will be conducted through the use of cross tabulation of nominal data between selected variables in the study. The Chi-square statistics is used to examine the significant effect of one variable on another. Statistical significance is to be set at an alpha level of 0.05. References Babbie, E. R. Survey Research Methods. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub. Co., (1990), 11-16 Das S., Kinsinger LS., Yancy WS., Wang A., Ciesco E., Burdick M., Yevich SJ., (2005). Obesity Prevalence Among Veterans at Veterans Affairs Medical Facilities. Am J Prev Med. 28(3) pp291-294. Mokdad, A., Actual Causes of Death in the United States. 2000. Jama 2005: 293 (3):293. Mirza, N., Kadow, K., Palmer, M., Solano, H., Rosche, C., & Yanovski, J., (2004). Prevalence of overweight among inner city Hispanic-American children and adolescents. Obesity Research, 12(8). Retrieved from the Wilson Web database. Trochim, W. The research methods knowledge base, 1st edition. OH: Atomic Dog Publishing, (2001), 23-25. Wadden TA., Didie E. What’s in a Name? Patients’ preferredterms for describing obesity. Obes. Res. (2003). 11(9);1140-6. Zechmeister, E. B.. A practical introduction to research methods in psychology (3rd Ed.) NY: Mc Graw Hill, (1997), 18-20. Read More