Developing Implementation Plan Obesity in Children - Essay Example

Method of obtaining necessary approval For the conduct of an academic study of this nature, it is very important that the researcher observes various ethical considerations. It is also important that the researcher secures the working support of other stakeholders whose contributions and inputs towards the research. In both cases; that is, in the case of applying ethical considerations and involving credible stakeholders, it helps in ensuring that the research work gains credibility for future academic referencing and use (Jacobi, Agras, & Hammer, 2001). It is against this background that the researcher shall ensure that all necessary ethical considerations and stakeholder involvement are secured. In both cases however, it is always important to obtain necessary approval and permission from individuals and authorities that matter. As part of the ethical considerations, it is important that approval is sought through the issuance of consent letter or consent form to organization’s leaders on their role and involvement in the study. In the case of contributors also, it is important that a formal approval is sought from fellow staff to seek their contributions to the study in one way or the order. Because both forms of involvements are done on a voluntary basis, it is always important that the researcher devises a strategic method in ensuring that the approvals are not declined. As part of the method of obtaining the necessary approval therefore, the researcher shall ensure that there is first a verbal consultation among all targeted persons, whereby a ‘water-testing’ strategy shall be undertaken to have an idea of those who will be willing to be involved in the study and those who are not. Thereafter, a consent form that clearly spells out all ethical considerations including the need to keep the identities of respondents confidential and anonymous shall be released to the targeted stakeholders. It is hoped that with the assurance of ensuring high sense and level of ethics, the organization’s leadership and fellow staff will be willing to be part of the study. Description of current problem The current issue has to do with the introduction of a new intervention that seeks to tackle the problem of obesity in children. The need and rationale behind the present issue is rooted in the weaknesses identified in the current procedure. Presently, the fight against obesity in children is approached using the masses procedure. By this, all children suffering from obesity are categorized as one group of persons with a common problem and thus demanding a common intervention (Harper, 2006). However, for some years now that this strategy has been used, it has been found that the strategy has been very ineffective in yielding needed results. This is because according to state data and record, regardless of the existing procedure, obesity in children continues to go high (Wilkins et al, 1998). The proposed intervention would therefore take a form and structure that is directly opposite to what exists currently. This is because it will identify children with obesity as individual persons rather than a group. With this, the researcher shall have the opportunity to critically scrutinizing the cause of each child’s risk of obesity. Thereafter, the researcher shall be offered the opportunity to assigning the most suitable solutions to each child’s case; noting that they all have different causes to their problems. A very crucial part of the proposed solution or issue is that is it backed with several theories and research findings. This means that the solution shall and can be trusted to be evidence based, making the work of the researcher highly empirical. Noting that the reliability of a piece of research is the ability of the research to produce almost the same results wherever it is repeated with the same or similar variables, it is important that the study will have a relation to theories and phenomena that are currently in literature and researcher practice. Detailed explanation of proposed solution The most logical detailed explanation of the proposed solution can be given in terms of the theory that supports the solution. It would be noted that the solution is backed by the multidimensional theory to obesity. This is a theory that is commonly associated or attributed to Perryman, Nielsen and Booth (2008). This is because of the kind of extensive work that these researchers did into this approach of solution to obesity. The general idea behind the multidimensional solution is that obesity is a multi-focal concept that has several components and branches. To this end, it is always a mistake to attempt to deal with obesity by using only one principle or formula. As part of the core ideology of the proposed solution, researchers that seek to make use of the solution are always concerned with identifying the different causes of people’s cases of obesity. This is because according to the theory, they are several causative factors behind the contraction of obesity including psychological problems, hormonal imbalances, environmental factors, dietary disorders, among others. However, most researchers and health practitioners are quick to overlook all other possible causes, leaving diet related causes alone. But it has been noted that diet forms less than one third of all causes of obesity (Jacobi, Agras, & Hammer, 2001). After finding the appropriate cause, the solution requires that the patient be treated as an individual and not as persons who is part of a group. This means that there will be a timeline drawn specifically for the obese child. This timeline shall include specific activities and interventions that are aimed at bringing the problem under control. Rationale for selecting proposed solution There are a number of rationales influencing the selection of the proposed solution. But one of the most sensitive that relates directly to the current study and professional practice of the researcher has to do with the modern dynamics of society that makes it prone to multi-variant risk factors associated with obesity (Perryman, Nielsen and Booth, 2008). In the years that there was not so much advancement in health research and analysis, most of the focus on what could be accountable for obesity in children was diet and inheritance issues. Today, society is fast changing and with the backing of technology and advancement, it has become evident that obesity exists among people due to a multiplicity of factors. So if there is multiplicity of factors causing obesity in school children, then the most logical approach to an intervention against obesity would be one that makes use of multidimensional approach. The second rationale for the selection has to do with the fact that the present solution is backed by evidence base study. Today, evidence based nursing practice has become a phenomenal terminology because the credibility it attaches to nursing practice. Through evidence based practice, nurses have the opportunity to authenticating the reliability and efficacy of their proposed solutions even before applying them on patients and end users (Golan et al, 1998). If the proposed solution has also been backed by similar evidence and research, then it is only prudent that it be selected for such an important academic study. Finally, the rationale for the selected proposed solution is in the fact that the solution is versatile in its application. That is, because it does not allow itself to the use of only one intervention, it is possible to change the intervention at any point of application if the researcher finds that its efficacy is not longer becoming effective. Evidence from your review of literature Literature has already been reviewed from a number of sources including books, online journals, newspaper publications, magazines among others. Due to the large volume of literature that were available to the researcher, a brief literature log was prepared to be used to select the very best of materials that could be incorporated in the final paper. The literature log was used in such a way that the researcher identified keywords that were relevant to the study. Through a scanning process through the table of content of the materials that were first sampled, the number was reduced by half according to those materials that were most relevant. A skimming process was then followed to further reduce the number by half. This got the remaining literature sources to about twenty, after which a critical review was done through each of them to ensure that a final selection of ten were made. Of the ten, the researcher used the variable of the source that had a very direct bearing to the topic at hand to settle on two sources that became the model sources for the study. These were sources from Wilkins, Kendrick, Stitt and Hammerlund (1998) and Perryman, Nielsen and Booth (2008). Evidence from literature work produced by these two groups of writers shows that obesity is “multidimensional and involves physical aspects, such as genetics and metabolism, as well as psychological schemas and environmental conditions” (Wilkins, Kendrick, Stitt, & Hammarlund, 1998). Due to this evidence, “the multidimensional theory remains the only credible theory that can explain problems of obesity in children and subsequently outline an appropriate solution to these” (Perryman, Nielsen, & Booth, 2008) Implementation logistics and Resources Because there is a running system already in place, the integration of the proposed solution or procedure shall be carried out on a very gradual process. What this means is that the whole implementation shall be approached as a process rather than an event. As part of the process, it is expected that the execution time shall begin right away. The beginning shall however be done in consonance and in addition with the existing system. This is necessary so that the organizational culture shall not suffer a sudden shock of change. Indeed, it is important to note that the organizational culture defines the trend of patronage that the facility receives (Harper, 2006). To this end, it is important that the implementation shall be carried out on a gradual basis so as to avoid breakages to the existing organizational culture. Again, whiles the new procedure is being carried out along with the old system, user education shall be intensified. Users shall be categorized into two namely service providers and service users – that is professionals and patients. The need to ensure education and training for service providers is because they are more familiar with the old system and an absence of such training program may cause them to fumble with the new system. Service users also need training and advocacy on the need to accept the new system as the most reliable and effective in addressing their health needs. The final stage of implementation shall be when the new system shall be used apart from the old system. It is expected that this stage should come after six months of feasibility test with the new system. As part of the new system, resources including human resource (theoretical experts), in-service training materials such as pamphlets, course books and other conference materials shall be need. Another important resource has to do with the resource of time, which may require that the facility makes arrangement for extra working hours among the workers during which the various training programs and implementation tests shall be undertaken. Finally, a specialized budgetary allocation that takes care of the needs of training program would have to be prepared. Some of the financial resources would go into transportation, honorarium, meals, learning materials, among others. References Golan, M., Weitzman, A., Apter, A., & Fainaru, M. (1998). Parents as the exclusive agents of change in the treatment of childhood obesity. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 67(6), 1130-1135. Harper, M. G. (2006). Childhood obesity: Strategies for prevention. Family Community Health, 29(4), 288-298. Jacobi, C., Agras, W. S., & Hammer, L. (2001). Predicting children’s reported eating disturbances at 8 years of age. Journal of American Academic Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 40(3), 364-372. Perryman, M., Nielsen, S., & Booth, J. (2008). An Examination of the family’s role in childhood obesity. VISTAS 2008 Online. Retrieved from http://counselingoutfitters.com/vistas/vistas08/Nielsen.htm Wilkins, S. E., Kendrick, O. W., Stitt, K. R., & Hammarlund, V. A. (1998). Family functioning is related to overweight children. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 98(5), 572-574. Read More