Obesity to Promote Hypertension - Essay Example

Health Promotion Name Institution Course Date Health Promotion Introduction Hypertension is a condition in which the long term force of the blood against the walls of the artery is high enough that it may end up causing health problems including heart disease. The condition is also referred to as high blood pressure and it is determined by the amount of blood the heart pumps and the amount of resistance to the blood flow in the artery. One of the major causes of hypertension is obesity which is associated with increased visceral adiposity (Ogden, Carroll, Kit & Flegal, 2014). Obesity is a medical condition characterized with accumulation of excess body fat to the extent that it has negative effects on health. Excess consumption of food and lack of exercises is the main cause of obesity. Obesity has been on the increases worldwide and this has contributed to an increase in hypertension. Currently, obesity accounts for about 75% of hypertension and its risks. Hypertension is responsible for causing about 7.5 million deaths every year (World Health Organization, 2015). This can be attributed to the coronary heart diseases that it causes. About one billion people worldwide have hypertension. The life expectancy is reduced by hypertension which is mainly caused by obesity. The Middle East is also increasingly facing a lot of challenges related to hypertension which is caused by obesity. In Oman, about 31% of the population is obese and it is ranked 14th globally in the global obesity ranking. About 27% of the population in Oman have hypertension with the almost 90% of them being obese (El-Aty, et al, 2015). Obesity has some elements of genetics although it is largely caused by the consumption of high amount of food. High intake of meat and other foods with high fat content greatly contributed to obesity. Preventing obesity is a key step towards the prevention of hypertension. Health promotion programs are vital in creating awareness as well as encouraging behavior change (Greenfield, 2011). The health promotion has the potential of improving the quality of health through the prevention of hypertension. Prevention of obesity is useful in nursing as it contributed to the reduction in the cases of hypertension. Hypertension creates a lot of burden to the healthcare system. The nurses are mainly responsible for the care of the hypertension and obesity patients. The number of patients with the condition is also on the increase in Oman as well as other parts of the world. The prevention initiatives will therefore reduce the burden on the healthcare system enabling the nurses to concentrate on other core areas (Michie & Johnston, 2012). This is considering that the condition is mainly associated with the lifestyle and can therefore be prevented. The nurses can play an important role in the prevention process through creating awareness. This can be carried out through health promotion programs including screening and sensitization. Currently, there are no concrete policies although some countries are already imposing ban on the sale of fatty food to children. The paper thus discusses the prevention of obesity as a means to prevent and create awareness about hypertension. Discussion Epidemiology and how the illness is caused Obesity is measured in terms of the body mass index (BMI). The body mass index is usually obtained by dividing the weight of an individual to the square of their height. One is considered obsess when their body mass index is above 30 kg/. It is considered as the leading cause of preventable deaths as it leads to other conditions such as hypertension which in turn contributes to cardiovascular diseases. The prevalence of obesity among the adults as well as the children is on the increase worldwide. Weight gain is closely associated with hypertension and hence the increase in the condition among the obese people. About 60-70% of the individuals worldwide suffering from hypertension are obese. Since 1980, obesity rates have increased threefold in the Middle East and Asia including countries like Oman (Tailakh, et al, 2014). Obesity cause hypertension by increasing the extracellular fluid volume leading to an increase in blood flows in most of the tissues. This action increases the venous return and cardiac output contributing to hypertension. An increase in the body weight usually result to an increase in the cardiac output. This also cause an increase in the blood flow which supplies the extra adipose tissue. Obesity is also associated with functional vasodilatation which increases the metabolic rates and consumption of oxygen by the tissues. Arterial stiffening is and common among the obese individuals which contributes to the high blood pressure (Colagiuri, et al, 2010). Oxidative stress is a factor associated with obesity and hence contributing to the high blood pressure. Impairment of renal pressure natriuresis is associated with obesity and hence contributing to hypertension. It is estimated that obesity induced high blood pressure will contribute to 19 million deaths annually by 2020. About 1.5 billion individuals will have high blood pressure by 2025 (Athukorala, et al, 2010). The figures indicate that the problem of obesity and hypertension is likely to cause high mortality rates across the world. Hypertension among the obese children is threefold higher as compared to the non-obese children. This is an indication that the problem has effects on all the individuals regardless of their age. A weight gain of more than 25 pounds among the adults usually contributes to obesity which in turn leads to the risk of hypertension. In Oman the number of women who are obese is on the increase. About 37.7% of women in Oman are obese. A study that was carried out in 2014 indicated that 445,206 Omanis are obese. A further 667, 809 were found to be overweight and at a risk o obesity (Tailakh, et al, 2014). Unhealthy and sedentary lifestyle is the main factor contributing to obesity in Oman. Eating unhealthy food and lack of exercises are the main cause of obesity. In Oman, more and more people are opting to eat out leading to the consumption of unhealthy diet. Children are increasingly consuming fatty food such as chips, burgers, fried meat. The high intake of sugary foods is also a risk factor that has contributed to the condition. The problem is common across the world as most people are consuming unhealthy diet (Tailakh, et al, 2014).The consumption of fast food has also been on the increase across the world contributing to the increased obesity rates. Obesity contributing to hypertension is considered a ticking time bomb in Oman as well as other parts of the world. This is due to its soaring rates which contributes to about 2500 deaths every year in the country. Fast food in Oman and other parts of the world is increasingly becoming cheap and readily available contributing to the illness. The fast food is considered junky and s largely to blame in most parts of the world (Gaillard, 2011). The failure to monitor the eating habits is increasingly becoming a problem across the world which as contributed to the high rate of obesity and hypertension. Most of the people across the world tend to consume whatever is easiest to find and hence contributing to the condition. Most of the children in most parts of the world no longer go out to play. Most of the time is spent in doors playing video games and hence impacting negatively on the ability to exercise after consuming the junk food. Relationship between obesity and hypertension has been established among the children and adults. In countries such as the United States of America, 1 in every 3 adults have hypertension (Pieris, et al, 2014). This accounts for about 80 million people in the United States of America. This indicated that the problem affects all the countries and it is a major contributor of poor health in the world. It is however important to note that the disease can be easily detected through screening and visits to the health facilities. Measures that have currently been put in place in Oman In Oman, the government as well as other stakeholders are aware of the threat posed by the condition. A lot of focus is currently being placed on the prevention of obesity as it is equally viral in the prevention of hypertension. The government has acknowledged that the problem exists and it has negative effects on the health of the population. Creating awareness is one of the measures that has put in place by the government as well as the stakeholders (Waly, et al, 2013).The nurses as well as other healthcare personnel and stakeholders in the health sector are carrying out awareness campaigns to sensitize the population. The government is providing resources to ensure that the awareness campaigns are carried out at different levels including the grassroots. The campaigns are mainly aimed at providing information to the members of the public about the factors leading to obesity and how it leads to hypertension. The information is useful as most of the people are not aware that some of their cultural practices and eating habits contributes to the problem. The awareness campaigns usually target the adults at the community level and children in schools (Nikoloski & Wiliams, 2016). The parents are targeted by the campaigns as they are responsible for providing food to the children. In Oman, it is common for the parents to give their children huge food portions with the belief that it will make them strong and healthy. This is a factor that is contributing to the problem in the country. During the awareness campaigns, the nurses are usually involved in screening of the individuals. The screening is mainly for determining those who are at risk of obesity and hypertension and those who have already been affected. Hypertension is easily detectable through the screening process. Advice is usually provided to those who have been affected in order to ensure that they are able to manage the condition (. Hospital visits for check up is being encouraged as a means to detect and prevent the condition. This is usually encouraged by the nurse during the awareness campaigns. The government is also providing funds for the purposes ensuring that the awareness campaigns are carried out across the country. Some of the advice that the nurses are providing to the people including exercising and avoiding the junk food. Other stakeholders with expertise on the issues of diet are involved in the provision of detailed information regarding the type and amount of food that should be consumed (El-Aty, et al, 2015). The consumption of fruit and vegetables is an important measure that can be used in preventing the condition. Avoiding junk food and red meat is also advisable as it is vital in the prevention process. Behaviour change is the main target of the campaigns being carried out by the nurses and other stakeholders. This is considering that the problem is mainly associated with the lifestyle of the individuals. A change in lifestyle has been effective in reducing the number of new cases in some countries like USA where similar campaigns have been launched (El-Aty, et al, 2015). The nurses are heavily involved in the process of checking the weight and blood pressure of the individuals. During every hospital visits as well as the health promotion programs, the nurses usually check the weight of the individuals in order to determine their BMI. Obtaining the BMI enables the nurses to know the individuals who are at risk of obesity and those that are already obese (Tailakh, et al, 2014). Appropriate advice is then provided to the individual for the purposes of prevention. The records of the patients are usually kept in order to monitor their progress as well as determine the success of the intervention measures. Checking the blood pressure is a relatively simple process and it is carried out by the nurses during the health promotion campaigns a well as the hospital visits. An individual whose blood pressure is above 120 mmHg has high blood pressure or is at risk of developing the condition. The nurses usually provide the individual with the appropriate advice although those who have already developed the condition require medical intervention. Organizations such as the World Health Organization is advocating for the prevention of obesity as a means to combat hypertension due to its epidemiology. The organization has further warned that more people are likely to develop the condition if they do not change their lifestyle. The government in Oman is also in the process of developing policies so as to support the prevention activities being undertaken by the nurses (El-Aty, et al, 2015). The presence of policies is useful in preventing the condition as it may limit the sale of some types of food considered harmful. Health promotion model The behavioural change model was selected due to its ability to the nature of the illness. Obesity and hypertension are lifestyle conditions that can easily be prevented through lifestyle change and modification. The behavioural change model takes a preventive approach and it focuses on lifestyle behaviours which has impacts on health. The model mainly seeks to persuade individuals to embrace healthy lifestyle behaviours (Greaves, et al, 2011). This may also include the use of preventive health services as well as taking responsibility for personal health. The model was selected due to the beliefs, attitudes and behaviours that contribute to the condition. Most people believe that gaining weight is a sigh of good health and hence contributing to the problem. There is also a belief that the children should be provided with large quantities of food in order for them to grow health. The people who appear to be slim are not considered healthy in some of the society. The health promotion model has the ability of changing such beliefs and attitudes and hence impacting positively on the prevention of the condition (Teixeira, et al, 2012).The number of people eating out is on the increase. This is due to the availability of fast food which is cheap and easy to prepare. It is however difficult to control the amount consumed to the delicious nature of such food. Behaviour change is thus required in order to ensure that the people are able to change their eating patterns. Lack of adequate information is a major problem associated with the problem. The nurses have a responsibility of assisting the patients to make healthy choices. This can only be achieved through the provision of information which is encouraged through the use of the model. Achieving change in health related behavior is an important aspect of the national health frameworks in most countries. The use of this model also considers that the individuals have freedom of choice (Morrison, et al, 2012). Some of the individuals may continue with the unhealthy diet and lifestyle despite the availability of the information. Some of the individuals may be of the opinion that the consumption of junk food outweighs the risks. A change of attitude can only be attained in the presence of adequate information. The model is effective in terms of persuading the individuals to change their lifestyle through educating them and providing information that is based on evidence. According to the change theory, the process usually talks place on a step by step basis (Greaves, et al, 2011). The model is suitable for the prevention process as it takes the individuals through a step by step process that assists them to achieve the required change. It has been demonstrated through research that the model is effective in enabling health related behavior change. The model has the ability of creating a lot of focus on the change process. A lot of emphasis is place on the cause of the problem and hence enabling the creation of focus and hence contributing to the change. The model also provides the members of the public with an opportunity to freely interact with the nurses in order to be informed about the condition. The model indicates that changes takes place through different stages which involves pre-contemplation, contemplation, commitment, action, maintenance, relapse and exit stage. At the pre-contemplation stage, the individual has no awareness of the need to change. The nurses can therefore intervene by providing the individuals with the health information about the problem. The stage provides the nurses with an opportunity to raise awareness of the unhealthy behaviours including the consumption of junk food. The model indicates that the nurses should not be judgmental when dealing with the individuals at this stage (Michie & Johnston, 2012). The contemplation stage is where the change starts as the individuals already have adequate information. The information provided by the nurses is adequate to motivate the individuals to start the change process. The commitment stage involves a serious decision by the individual to change their lifestyle in relation to the health related behavior. The model indicates that the nurses can provide the individuals with more assistance at this stage by helping them develop an action plan. At the action stage, the individuals are involved in the measures aimed at changing their health related behavior. This is through the implementation of the action plan as well as the advice from the nurses. The maintenance behavior involves maintaining the behavior change that they individuals have been able to attain (Michie & Johnston, 2012). Relapse stage is where the individuals have gone back to their old behaviours. The nurses are required to provide the patients with more assistance at the stage to enable them avoid the old behaviours. The exit stage marks the success of the health related change. The use of the model is therefore useful due to its ability to meet the needs of the population in the prevention of obesity and hypertension. The stages that the individuals are taken through ensures that the problem is avoided and prevented among a high number of people at the same time. How the practice could be improved The health promoting nursing is an aspect that requires improvements in order to ensure that the goals and objectives are fully met. The health promotion utilized by the nurses is mainly for preventing obesity so as to ensure hypertension is prevented in the long term (Michie & Johnston, 2012). An ecological approach is useful in terms of improving on the intervention. The ecological approach involves the use a wide range of personal, social and environmental factors in order to influence the behavior change. The nurses can put more concentration on the personal or individual beliefs, knowledge and skills. This is a measure that is aimed at ensuring that the information provided during the promotion process is with a full understanding of the individuals. The beliefs and attitudes of the people in Oman is a major factor that influences their eating behaviours. The nurses should also consider the social aspects in order to improve on the process of creating awareness. The interaction between the individuals and their community, family and friends influences behavior change (McEachan, et al, 2011). This means that the nurses should ensure that they communicate to individuals during the campaigns. They should also ensure that detailed information about the individuals is obtained during the process. The environment or area in which the individuals live should also be considered during the campaign. This includes environmental factors such as schools, workplace or physical locations. The environment influences the food that the individuals consume and this may contribute to obesity. Behaviour change in some instances may require the modification of the environment. In order to improve on the practice, the nurses must also consider the complex aspects of societal and biological factors. This is due to the importance that it has when tackling the obesity related problems. A mix of intervention is effective in promoting behavior change among the individuals (Webb, 2010). The current intervention which takes into account the factors at the individual level is unlikely to work. It is for this reason that the mix of interventions is required. The approach addresses different aspects of behavior change in relation obesity. Information and advice provided to the individuals during awareness program is not enough to stimulate behavior change. Improvements have to be made in order for information and advice to promote behavior change. The information provided to the individuals may only be enough to educate them and create awareness. However, it is not sufficient to change the behavior of the individuals (Greaves, et al, 2011). The contextual factors have to be considered during the program in order to complement the information provided to the individuals. The contextual factors that may be considered include emotions, habits and routines. It is vital for the nurses to understand the routine and habits of the individuals at a personal level in order to ensure that they ate able to use the information effectively. According to the theories and models of behavior change, the interventions that are designed to create an understanding of the behaviours or underlying factors are likely to be successful (Greaves, et al, 2011). The aspects of socio-psychological models can also be utilized for the implementation of the program in order to ensure efficiency. The program can also be improved by providing the individuals with more support mechanisms that may motivate them. The individuals can be provided with self monitoring tools. The tools are useful in enabling the nurses to monitor their blood pressure or weight in order to prevent obesity. The nurses should assist the individuals in the process of developing the goals and ensuring that they are met. Self monitoring skills are useful in enabling the individuals to be in charge of the process once they have obtained adequate information about the problem. According to the self-determination theory, a combination of skill development and intrinsic motivation has positive effects on behavior change (Teixeira, et al, 2012).Intrinsic motivation is also important among the individuals. This type of motivation does not depend on external factors or rewards from the healthcare personnel. However, the nurses should encourage the individuals so as to help them develop intrinsic motivation. To improve on the process, the nurses also need to acquire motivational interviewing skills. Motivational interviewing is an approach that utilizes a combination of behavior change techniques when dealing with the individuals. This method is client centered geared at enhancing intrinsic motivation. This will require the nurses to focus more on the individuals during the programs. A clear discrepancy between the goals of the individuals and their current behaviours also needs to be developed (McEachan, et al, 2011). The nurses must also utilize reflective listening when dealing with the individuals in order to ensure that they are able to improve on the process. The concepts of social marketing should be utilized during the awareness campaigns in order to improve on the prevention process. This involves the use of behavior change theory to influence social good (McEachan, et al, 2011). It can be achieved by creating an impression that the new behavior is fun and achievable. The health promotion should portray that avoiding the junk food is achievable and one can be healthy without consuming it. Support pack can be provided to the community members and families in order to improve on the process. Partnering with other influential organizations in the society can also be vital in improving on the health promotion. This can be effective when dealing with childhood obesity in the community. Technology is increasingly becoming useful in most countries including Oman. The use of technology can be embraced in order to improve on the health promotion. Technology is popular with the youth who are also affected by the problem. It can therefore be used for delivering interventions through the internet. The concepts of E–health can be delivered through the uses of mobile phones that are internet enabled (Morrison, et al, 2012). This will play a vital role in ensuring that more people have access to the information about obesity. The program should also work closely with other stakeholders including the government so as to ensure some of the challenges are addressed. Policy makers should also be involved so as to ensure they are able to pass laws that may be useful in supporting the activities of the campaign. Factors that may influence success The health promotion activity will require moving around the communities, schools and other areas in order to create awareness. This requires a lot of resources in terms of human as well as financial. One of the major barriers to the program is lack of adequate finance and human resources. Most of the health promotion programs have failed due to lack of adequate resources to finance the activities. In order to solve the problem, working closely with the stakeholders including the government can break the financial barrier (Greaves, et al, 2011). Non –governmental organizations can also make financial contributions which is useful in solving the problem. To solve the problems related with the human resources, volunteers can be recruited. The recruitment of volunteers to assist the nurses will ensure that a high number of people can be informed and attended to during the campaigns. The volunteers can be students in the medical college as well as any other person with previous experience of working in the healthcare sector. High levels of transparency and accountability must be observed when using the financial resources (Greaves, et al, 2011). This is for the purposes of eliminating any form of wastage during the program. Proper planning is also important during the implementation of a health program. Resistance to change is one of the major barriers may impact negatively on the prevention process. The members of the community may fail to abandon their earlier practices aimed preventing obesity (El-Aty, et al, 2015). In case of such an event, the initiative will be considered unsuccessful. Behaviour change is one of the major problems to most of the individuals. This includes those who are willing to change. The cultural barriers as well as the attitudes of the individual may impact negatively on the change process. The environmental as well as social issues may also impact negatively on the change process (El-Aty, et al, 2015). To break this barrier, a lot of consultations will be carried out with the stakeholders. The nurses will use different intervention methods will be used so as to meet all the needs of the population. Working with stakeholders including the community members, parents, teachers and the local healthcare personnel will also be vital in ensuring the barrier is broken. All the necessary assistance will also be provided to the individuals in order to enable them to embrace change. The craving for junk food has been highlighted as one of the main challenges that affects the change process. The environmental factor is one of the main barriers to the program. Most of the junk food are cheap and easily available. Some of the businesses that specializes in the sale of junk food are multinational or huge businesses that have made huge investments. Throughout the world, the multinational companies such as McDonalds re known selling the junk food. Such companies and businesses are not likely to stop selling the junk food. The availability of the junk food in the market is a challenge as the people will continue with its consumption. To deal with this barrier, the business people will also be consulted. They should be advised to ensure that the quantity of junk food sold to the customers in a meal is reduced. It is also important for the businesses to use ingredients that are not harmful to the consumers. Lawmakers as well as other stakeholders including the government will be consulted in order to develop appropriate rules and regulations governing the sale of the junk food. Some of the countries in South America facing the same problem has banned the sale of junk food close to the schools. Selling of toys together with sugary and junk food to entice the children has also been banned in most of the South American countries facing the challenges of obesity. The evaluation of a health promotion is vital in determining it effectiveness and success. The evaluation is essential in determining the measures that need to be put in place to improve on the process (Tailakh, et al, 2014). This will be carried out during the project. The evaluation will be carried out on a quarterly basis. The main tools that will be used during the evaluation is the data regarding obesity and hypertension related cases. A reduction in the number of obese people by at let 20% after four months will be an indication of success. This should further be reflected by a reduction in new cases of hypertension by up to 75%. This is mainly due to the relationship between obesity and hypertension. The number of individuals who will be involved in the follow up process will be determined. This will mainly involve the people who are obese. The promotion will be considered a failure in case the required objectives of 20% reduction in the number of obese people after four months and 75% reduction of new hypertension cases. The strategies will have to be changed in case of failure. Conclusion and recommendations It is recommended that accurate data about obesity and hypertension should be collected in advance in order to facilitating a mapping process. The geographical areas where the number of obesity induced hypertension is high must be established. It is recommended that a close corporation with the stakeholders should be considered in order to obtain all the available data. The stakeholders should also be involved in the program. The program must target communities as well as individuals in order to ensure that the problem is effectively dealt with. All the required equipment as well as resources have to be put in place in advance. Working closely with stakeholders and volunteers has to be part of the process. In conclusion, it is evident that obesity is one of the main causes of hypertension. Millions of people die worldwide every year due to hypertension which is caused by obesity. It is evident that obesity is a lifestyle condition and it is mainly attributed to the consumption of junk and sugary food in large quantities. The health promotion is mainly aimed at promoting behaviour change in order to prevent obesity. Prevention of obesity will play an essential role in the preventing hypertension. It is evident that the nurses have to be full involved in the intervention. Barriers as well as challenges are expected during the campaign. 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