Pilot Study Protocol on Policies Promoting the Regulation of Obesity - Coursework Example

Pilot study protocol on policies that promote the regulation of obesity Introduction The present-day American society has countersigned high-tech developments that have absolutely transformed the social order. Regardless of this, over 49 million Americans continue suffering under the verge of poverty, obesity, diabetes 2 and its related illnesses. The state government has committed millions of dollars into counteracting this socio and economic problems that are intimidating to engrave the contemporary society, undoubtedly due to ineffectual policies and strategies. According to Hughes (2011), there is a strong positive correlation between poverty, obesity and diabetes 2; many of the people diagnosed with obesity and diabetes 2 are Native Americans, blacks and Hispanics, where rate of obesity reaches upto 70%, and this has been accredited to their deprived economic conditions. Obesity and diabetes are among the vigorously growing health problems faced by Americans. The prevalence in obesity rates has caused massive cases of diabetes 2 which in turn causes amputations, hypertension and blindness, and also increases chances of developing depression, cancer, heart disease, asthma, immobility and arthritis. Allowing the current rates of poverty and obesity to continue increasing implies that America will be trailing on a perilous track. Moreover, the obesity endemic, if left unimpeded, will contravene the substantial progress made in life expectancy and health in the recent decades (Klein et al., 2004). Certainly, if current and future generations are to live longer, healthy and exciting lives, this cosmic problem must be contained through effective policy formulation and implementation. Obesity costs the nation over $160 billion in direct therapeutic costs every year. Estimates indicate that yearly medical expenditures can be plummeted by between 7-12% if the government succeeds to eradicate obesity and diabetes 2 (Levine, 2011). Additionally, through Medicare and Medicaid, a substantial fraction of this cost is financed by assiduous taxpayers and this affects both federal and state budgets and significantly hinders meaningful economic development. It is too costly to overlook the skyrocketing premature deaths resulting from obesity and obesity-associated chronic diseases. Consequently, this pilot study seeks to explore the state government’s roles in regulating the two lethal epidemics. It will seek to explore whether the policies of developing EMR system that back diabetes prevention, guaranteeing parity of mental and physical health services, promoting active lifestyles, increasing Medicaid funding for obesity and diabetes, and regulating the diet of Americans are effective and efficient in handling the poverty, obesity and diabetes menace (Levine, 2011). Additionally, it will focus on examining how the government has responded to the devastating conditions faced by diabetic and/or obese Americans taking into consideration the sheer fact that it is the institution with the power to revamp the deteriorated health conditions of Americans. Only an extensive mobilization of concerned activists, health professionals and citizens can persuade elected officials and policy makers to act now to thwart the diabetes and sufferings that diabetes is inexorably causing (Sami, 2013). Research goals My primary goal is to evaluate the effectiveness and adeptness of the current policies that are aimed at regulating, controlling and possibly jettisoning obesity and diabetes from America. Noteworthy, this will be done so as to guarantee the attainment of the goal to encourage residents, health professionals and policymakers to respond to diabetes and obesity more vehemently and excellently. Additionally, the pilot study shall seek to examine the actuality of developing substantial policies, apart from those currently in place, which will help in forefending or containing the current situation. However, the pilot will be inadequate and seemingly superfluous without an ostensible explication of how and why the government has failed in reducing the depressing rates of obesity and diabetes. To accomplish this, I will undertake a qualitative substantiation of numerical findings, with an objective of pinpointing the futile policies and recommending policies that can be formulated and implemented to curb the continually increasing obesity and diabetes level, firstly through poverty reduction (Kettel et al., 2009). The operational changes required in healthcare will also be outlined in an effort to ensure that current and forthcoming generations will find operational policies and an America free from obesity and obesity-related illnesses, particularly the noxious diabetes 2. I prominently believe that through attainment of the aforementioned goals, I will contribute to the direly needed policy changes in the American healthcare sector and guarantee Americans an apt and pertinent existence, free from avertable deaths. Methods Interviews and participants observations will be the main methods that will be used in gathering data. The interview approach will be used to address “what” questions regarding the policies aimed at impeding progression of obesity and diabetes 2. Prior to interviewing, we shall seek the participants consent and inform them about the importance of the study. Afterwards, they will be required to answer questions such as; What policies can you consider to be a disgrace in the fight against poverty, obesity and diabetes 2? What can you cite as the major cause of failure of these policies? Do the nutrition policies, zoning policies, labeling act help in reducing obesity? What health policies would you recommend the government to implement in order to guarantee a diabetes free environment? What should be done to encourage healthy eating habits? Do you think that if the government offered meal vouchers to Americans living in deprived neighborhoods will reduce the rates at which consumers purchase and consume foods with high calories? There has been recent creation and establishment of recreation parks despite the looming land and space crisis. Do you think this will encourage more people to participate in recreation activities such as swimming, sports and games? During the interview, we shall take note of the various factors that the interviewees will identify as having contributed to the increase in obesity and diabetes 2. The data shall then be grouped, analyzed and interpreted to categorize the various policies that will have been highlighted as having failed and those that have helped in curbing the obesity challenge. They will provide information regarding the various policies that have proved to be detrimental rather than beneficial (Morse & Richards, 2002). A comparison of their responses will indicate how different policies affect different hospitals’ capacity and aptitude to offer quality health services to encumber the development of obesity and diabetes 2 (Denzin & Lincoln, 2004). To supplement the data collected through interviews, we shall observe people eating and shopping for food in fast food restaurants and try to analyze the nutritional content of the foods they buy and eat. Moreover, an observation of around 10 people shopping in a supermarket shall be studied with a main intention of establishing the foods they purchase, their spending habits on high calories foods and how often they purchase sporting equipment (Appendix 1). One of the challenges that might detriment the pilot study is financial constriction. Data collection might require a substantive amount of both human and financial resources which might not be available. Data available might also be insubstantial since a large number of persons are unacquainted and oblivious of the poverty, obesity and diabetes trend within America and the policies that are in place. However, mish-mashing the various methods can ominously help in overcoming these challenges. References Hughes, G. (2011). Ability to manage diabetes – community health workers’ knowledge, attitudes and beliefs. SEMDSA (Society for Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes of SA. Levine, J. (2011). Poverty and Obesity in the U.S. American Diabetes Association. Retrieved from http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/60/11/2667.extract# Denzin, N. K., & Lincoln, Y. S. (2004). Handbook of qualitative research. Thousand Oaks: Sage Publications. Kettel, K. L., & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (U.S.), National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (U.S.). (2009). Recommended community strategies and measurements to prevent obesity in the United States. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Klein, S., Sheard, N. F., Pi-Sunyer, X., Daly, A., Wylie-Rosett, J., Kulkarni, K., & Clark, N. G. (2004). Weight Management Through Lifestyle Modification for the Prevention and Management of Type 2 Diabetes: Rationale and Strategies: A statement of the American Diabetes Association, the North American Association for the Study of Obesity, and the American Society for Clinical Nutrition. Diabetes Care, 2(3), 134-253. Morse, J. M., & Richards, L. (2002). Read me first for a users guide to qualitative methods. Thousand Oaks (Calif.): Sage. Sami, M. (2013). Healthy planning in California: Towards a theory of multi-level frame interaction. Appendix 1 Data collection chart Research goal To evaluate the effectiveness and adeptness of the current policies that are aimed at regulating, controlling and possibly jettisoning obesity and diabetes from America. Data to collect Policies on food and nutrition Exercise policies and patterns Americans consumption behaviors Effectiveness of zoning policies Data collection methods Interviews Participant observations Sample I will interview 10 African Americans and Hispanics. Will observe Americans of all backgrounds shopping in supermarkets, preferably 10, dining and shopping in fast-food restaurants including Burger King and Macdonalds. Read More