Obesity is regarded as one of the major concerns in many countries. It has been acknowledged that there is an epidemic of this disorder in the USA (Ogden, Carroll, Kit, & Flegal, 2014). For instance, Rinehart and Oliver (2015) note that almost 70% of American adults aged 20 or more are overweight including over 35% of people who are obese. Woo Baidal et al. (2015) state that over 16% of white American children are obese while Hispanic children are five times more likely to suffer from this disorder as compared to non-Hispanic populations.
Therefore, extensive research has been implemented to identify major risk factors associated with the disease (Malik, Willett, & Hu, 2012). Woo Baidal et al. (2015) explore Hispanic mothers’ views on the matter and reveal some cultural factors contributing to the prevalence of obesity in the population in question. Pulgarón (2013) examined the correlation between some disorders and obesity in children. The findings of the research show that obesity is associated with asthma, metabolic issues, dental issues, sleep and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, and so on. Taveras, Gillman, Kleinman, Rich-Edwards, and Rifas-Shiman (2013) reveal socioeconomic factors claiming that Hispanic populations are prone to the development of the disorder under analysis due to their low access to healthy food and physical activity.
However, little attention has been paid to nurses’ knowledge on the matter. One of the nurses’ goals is to educate patients and help them address health issues and have healthy lifestyles. The ability of nursing professionals to help children suffering from obesity is still under-researched. The purpose of this manuscript is to examine nurses’ knowledge concerning the major risk factors of obesity in the school-age Hispanic population as well as nursing professionals’ ability to instruct patients and their parents on ways to address the problem.
Journal Selection
Narrative
The two journals are concerned with the topics I will address in my research. I will focus on nurses’ knowledge concerning obesity in Hispanic school-age children, and these professionals’ ability to educate the patients and their families to have healthier lifestyles. One of the journals targets issues associated with adolescents and children while the other one concentrates on the Hispanic population of all ages. I would choose Hispanic Health Care International due to several reasons.
First, it focuses on health issues of the Hispanic population of the USA. It has been acknowledged that the Hispanic population is more vulnerable to the development of obesity due to certain genetic, cultural, and socioeconomic peculiarities (Taveras et al., 2013). Non-Hispanic white children and teenagers are five times less likely to be obese (Woo Baidal et al., 2015). Therefore, my manuscript will be more relevant to this journal. Besides, since Hispanic Health Care International focuses on the Hispanic population’s issues, healthcare professionals are more likely to view it when implementing their research on obesity among Hispanic children and adolescents. Furthermore, I prefer short publications that are succinct and relevant. The required word limit in Hispanic Health Care International is appropriate for me. Finally, the journal includes articles written in Spanish, which makes it attractive to Spanish-speaking nurses. These healthcare professionals may find effective educational strategies to make patients and their families more committed to healthy lifestyles. Spanish nurses can be more effective educators as they are aware of cultural biases, beliefs, traditions, as well as fears and concerns of the population in question. The rest of the requirements are quite similar, so my choice mainly depends on the audience, subject matter, and word count.
References
Malik, V., Willett, W., & Hu, F. (2012). Global obesity: Trends, risk factors, and policy implications. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 9(1), 13-27.
Ogden, C., Carroll, M., Kit, B., & Flegal, K. (2014). Prevalence of childhood and adult obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. JAMA, 311(8), 806-814.
Pulgarón, E. (2013). Childhood obesity: A review of increased risk for physical and psychological comorbidities. Clinical Therapeutics, 35(1), A18-A32.
Rinehart, C., & Oliver, J. (2015). A clinical protocol for the assessment of obesity. Nursing Clinics of North America, 50(3), 605-611.
Taveras, E., Gillman, M., Kleinman, K., Rich-Edwards, J., & Rifas-Shiman, S. (2013). Reducing racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. JAMA Pediatrics, 167(8), 731-738.
Woo Baidal, J., Criss, S., Goldman, R., Perkins, M., Cunningham, C., & Taveras, E. (2015). Reducing hispanic children’s obesity risk factors in the first 1000 days of life: A qualitative analysis. Journal of Obesity, 2015, 1-8.