Four Major Questions as to Holistic Medicine Dissertation - Assignment Example

Dissertation Assignment #3 Four Major Questions Why does this topic interest you I am a holistic medicine practitioner. As opposed to the biomedical model of medicine, the immense scope of human self-healing is realized better in holistic medicine. This is clearly outside the scope of mainstream healthcare system, but holds significant implications when a life course approach is needed in management of relevant clinical problems that may be hitherto inadequately treated or managed by conventional and biomedical models. However, as opposed to biomedical model, research in holistic medicine is inadequate so evidence-based guidelines are available in most areas. Specifically in problems where lifestyle and behavioral modifications are the mainstays of management but difficult to implement and sustain in the traditional biomedical clinical care, successful implementation and maintenance of a changed health behavior may be possible through holistic health care, since the principle in this discipline is basically promotion of human endeavors to modify health behaviors. While searching about the topic about my dissertation, naturally, the problem of childhood obesity kept popping up. This area in particular has been documented to be a health problem of epidemic proportions, with the incidence and prevalence both being on the rise. Moreover, all biomedical interventions despite being research based have failed to produce results in practice. The main problem detected is that of failure to instigate lifestyle behavior in terms of dietary energy intake and physical activity in the target population. What I felt was children spend most of their time in families, and thus the family macro environment shapes their behavior in other areas. What if an intervention designed on the principles of holistic clinical medicine implemented in families could be implemented, which would promote behavioral change This proposition seemed very interesting since, there is a need for a solution to the problem of childhood obesity due mainly to the facts that behaviors incurred in childhood continue into adulthood, reduce health effects of obesity in the adulthood, may answer the unanswered questions in this area of practice, may fulfill the gaps in knowledge in this area where there is a great paucity of research making this topic unique, and may provide a guideline for management both to the holistic medicine and biomedical medicine. Moreover, this is an opportunity for me to be involved I research in my area of practice, where my learning on research methods may be implemented so I am able to investigate whether my personal belief that clinical holistic medicine at family levels may alter the current course of childhood obesity since the solution of this problem may lie in targeting pediatric population in order to modify these lifestyle behaviors that predispose to childhood obesity and its adverse effects. Why do you feel you can provide additional information on this topic From my studies, it is clear that inherent health risk behaviors in terms of dietary energy consumption and lack of physical activity in a regular fashion are the main reasons of childhood obesity, where sustained problem behaviors at the family levels potentiate the problem that are inadequately addressed by clinical biomedical interventions. Research studies in biomedical models in this topic are inadequate mainly due to knowledge gaps of the researchers on holistic health care principles. On the other hand, research on holistic healthcare is inadequate due mainly to paucity of knowledge in the principles of biomedical medicine and methodological deficiencies in research design. From my position as a holistic practitioner, I can utilize my knowledge of research methods and holistic health principles within the domain of biomedical knowledge of childhood obesity to have a research designed in this area which can successfully bridge the gap. In my opinion this original and unique topic is nothing more than under researched where many gaps exist leading to many unanswered questions. Moreover this area has a potential application of principles of holistic medicine with significant implications in outlining the requisite behavioral modifications through family interventions in the area of health risk behaviors. A sustained behavioral action directed at families and individuals involve broad health education and life course approach for promotion of healthy behavior. This hypothesis may be true due to the fact that obesity is acquired and preventable. Since the target area of family intervention is holistic in terms of sustained behavioral changes, I may be in the appropriate line due to the above reasons. I may be able to provide a new avenue of intervention since holistic interventions may bring about the desired behavioral changes through buildup of a positive family culture in the areas of physical activity, healthy eating behavior, and even emotional health. My proposition of family centric holistic approaches may be useful since there are inadequate literature and research, where this dissertation may contribute. Explain the rationale for your outline The global burden of childhood obesity is inadequately addressed in existing healthcare frameworks with demonstrable gaps in service provisions reflected in increasing childhood obesity despite practices. A more positive health behavior profile is essential for health promotion and disease prevention in childhood obesity with need to promote physical activity and healthy eating behaviors in children and adolescents. A holistic approach may be suitable due to the positive impacts of theory of healing and related quality of life theories. However, existential healing needs provision of resources, which would also ensure that there is a philosophical change at the personal level that would promote healing and individual endeavors toward awareness, care, acknowledgement, and acceptance and ability to letting go negative beliefs and attitudes. There is thus a need to have a clinical guideline that allows practical application of this theoretical framework. The rationale for this approach is that health behaviors are determined strongly by various social, economic, and environmental circumstances, and action at cognitive levels through health literacy may be an important pathway to build up a personal and behavioral approach. Specifically in case of children, these interventions may lead to life-long process of learning, genesis of health competencies and positive health behaviors, development of specific knowledge and cognitive skills, and creation of self attributes. On the contrary, biomedical interventions have failed to achieve any success in controlling childhood obesity with escalating rise in incidence and prevalence of this problem. Moreover, there is a perceived need for an effective intervention since many children are affected with the negative health consequences of obesity, such as, hypertension and diabetes with current and ongoing lower academic performance, tardiness, absenteeism, chances of detention, and decreased life span even with high prevalence of depression, lower self-esteem, higher social isolation, and increased stigmatization. Preventive approaches are incomplete due to lack of research both in biomedical and holistic disciplines. Specifically holistic medicine may be the solution since it is highly probable that home holistic interventions in diet and behaviour modification could be helpful in reducing childhood obesity and overweight rates since holistic medicine approach can be applied in the home environment where parental involvement may prove to be efficacious. However the very fact that the details of these interventions are not known mainly due to lack of evidence from research proves to be the rationale of this dissertation on this topic which would investigate the family-centric holistic interventions to prevent excessive energy intake and reduced physical activity, with the major reasons of failure being in modification of family attitudes and macro environments. It is hypothesized that a better understanding of these children's lifestyles from the family points of views may have the clue to such problems and thus family oriented holistic interventions within the modern affluent societies may be designed to offer lasting solutions and effective interventions to this problem, which this research is expected to provide. Explain the rationale for your choices in the literature review Suitable holistic family-centric interventions against childhood obesity are unknown. These factors may originate in the family environment, and research involving these factors is mandated. Apart from family dietary patterns, there may be a host of factors within the family macro environment that may be contributing and causative. Several broad areas have been recognized such as environment fostering obesity, high energy intake, low physical activity, availability and affordability of food, family status, and access to leisure facilities and family leisure practices. Evidence derived in these areas from the holistic perspectives although inadequately explored may provide solutions. However, in order to create an evidence base, a research with appropriate methodology is indicated, and thus literature on both biomedical model to inform the research design and holistic medicine to design interventions could be the need. In order to explore the unknown factors, multiple obesogenic covariates, targeting them to provide solutions for disparate factors through holistic approach, differentiating them from existing family-centric interventions, and estimating their influences on childhood obesity could identify the requisite literature. Since the literature search would be based on key words, apart from these concepts some other relevant ideas also need to be included in the literature. These include role of supportive families in deployment of family interventions in the management of childhood obesity, effectiveness of interventions in a family that promotes these interventions. In short, there is a need to investigate the multiple dimensions of childhood obesity in the family environment. Literature would also indicate possible interventions approaches which are health-centered lifestyle approach and cognitive behavioral modification, reduction of energy intake but maintenance of nutrient intake as a behavioral change, reduction of sedentary leisure activities and increase in physical activities as change in lifestyle through awareness, active engagement of parents and family in children's behavior change processes through a supportive family environment, and achievement of gradually increasing small changes gradually transforming into sustained changes in the life form driven from within the individual. A review of literature indicated different options in the area of lifestyle modifications. The prominent lifestyle interventions indicated dietary, physical activity and behavioral therapy interventions. Alternative therapies were not indicated in the reviews. Thus there is a potential for research in behavioral lifestyle interventions in the family settings. It remains to be explored what could be the possible interventions in a family-centric approach toward behavioral modification through a life course approach. This objective may be served through this dissertation through an appropriate design that can validate and establish the reliability of such interventions. The possible topics would include diet and nutrition, exercise and physical activity, lifestyle and social support that would involve the children of the above age groups with and without associated family members. The interventions would be family based. The literature search strategy would follow a methodology based on the indexing terms in the databases. Alternative therapies will be included in this search. Home-based interventions against obesity in childhood would be the special focus. The second focus area would be behavioral interventions and life course approach. The third focus area would be holistic approaches to control childhood obesity. The first priority would be randomized controlled trials. However, previous discussion on review of literature suggested that finding a randomized controlled trial in the specific focus areas may be difficult, and thus reviews and semantic literature may be needed to be included in order to write down the methodology and design of the study in the dissertation. A range of electronic databases will be searched to get the relevant literatures for review, the details of which will be elaborated in the literature review section. Read More