Background and Significance of the Problem
Obesity is a critical problem in the United States. According to Ogden, Carrol, Fryar, and Flegal (2015), over 36 percent of American adults are obese. Moreover, middle-aged and older adult groups were found to have higher obesity rates, with 40.2 percent of people aged 40-59 and 37% of people aged 60 and over being obese (Ogden et al., 2015). Aside from metabolic conditions, unhealthy diet and lifestyle are among the key reasons for obesity.
According to reports, the prevalence of obesity among African American adults is the highest (Ogden et al., 2015). Obesity poses many health risks and concerns. For instance, it is connected to the development of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases (Unick et al., 2014).
Thus, the economic burden of obesity is substantial, and there is a clear need to develop an effective yet low-cost approach to treating obesity. Nevertheless, there is a lack of recent studies that discuss interventions targeting this group of population specifically. Fakhouri, Ogden, Carrol, Kit, and Flegal (2012) argue that the share of older adults diagnosed with obesity is likely to grow in the future due to the overall aging of the population. Diet and lifestyle changes are widely considered to be efficient in treating mild, moderate, and even severe stages of obesity.
For instance, research by Unick et al. (2014) found that in adults with severe obesity, lifestyle changes can result in long-term weight reduction, as well as in the improvement of cardiovascular health. However, in many cases, the patients do not have enough information on the correct diet and exercise schemes. This highlights the need for educational interventions in the treatment of obesity. For example, Sbruzzi et al. (2013) found that in obese children who underwent education on diet and lifestyle for obesity management, the reduction in waist circumference and diastolic blood pressure was significant.
Educational interventions can also be highly motivating for the patients and encourage them to follow the recommendations with regards to nutrition and exercise. Resnicow et al. (2015) studied the effectiveness of motivational interviewing (MI) and dietary counseling by primary care providers in addressing pediatric obesity. The results proved that MI and dietary counseling had a significant positive impact on the patients. As middle-aged and older adults may find it harder to make the lifestyle changes necessary to treat obesity successfully, there is a clear need to establish the effectiveness of educational interventions for the patients of this age group.
Statement of the Problem
Obesity among African American middle-aged and older adults is an important problem that is not sufficiently addressed in research. Education is a low-cost method that could prove to be useful, as it would help to equip the patients with crucial knowledge and skills required to lose body fat. Determining the efficiency of diet educational intervention in treating obesity in this group could provide useful insight into approaching the issue.
Purpose of the Study
This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a diet educational intervention by nurses in the treatment of African Americans adults ages 50-70 diagnosed with obesity, compared to cultural food consumption. Overall, this study should provide an evidence-based foundation for the use of diet educational interventions in the treatment of obesity in the specified group of patients.
Research Question and Hypotheses
The primary research question for this study is as follows: “Will a diet educational intervention by nurses decrease obesity rates in African Americans adults aged 50-70 and diagnosed with obesity?”.
For the purpose of this research, the participants will be divided into two groups. Both groups should consist of African American adults aged 50-70, diagnosed with obesity. Group 1 will be the intervention group. The patients from group 1 will receive diet education from nurses at their primary care unit. The education should include thorough information on the principles of diet for obesity management, including daily calorie and nutrient intake. Group 2 will be the control group.
The patients from this group will receive no education and will continue to follow their cultural food consumption patterns. The research hypothesis is that the group of patients who are subject to a diet educational intervention by nurses will have statistically significant positive results in BMI and fat percentage loss, compared to cultural food consumption group. The null hypothesis is that there will be no statistically significant results between the intervention and control groups.
Study Variables
The independent variable in this research is the provision of education by nurses. This can be measured in hours. Each patient in the intervention group should receive the same amount of hours of education, whereas the control group will receive no education. The two dependent variables that should be examined as part of the study are BMI and body fat percentage. BMI, or body mass index, is widely used in research as the indicator of obesity (Ogden et al., 2015).
However, as BMI does not always describe the amount of body fat correctly, body fat percentage should also be measured. BMI can be measured in kg/m2 using the information about the participants’ height and weight, whereas body fat should be measured in percentage using a body fat caliper.
References
Fakhouri, T. H., Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Kit, B. K., & Flegal, K. M. (2012). Prevalence of obesity among older adults in the United States, 2007-2010. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Data Briefs, 106(1), 1-8.
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011-2014. US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics Data Briefs, 219(1), 1-8.
Resnicow, K., McMaster, F., Bocian, A., Harris, D., Zhou, Y., Snetselaar, L.,… Hollinger, D. (2015). Motivational interviewing and dietary counseling for obesity in primary care: An RCT. Pediatrics, 135(4), 649-657.
Sbruzzi, G., Eibel, B., Barbiero, S. M., Petkowicz, R. O., Ribeiro, R. A., Cesa, C. C.,… Schaan, B. D. (2013). Educational interventions in childhood obesity: A systematic review with meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials. Preventive Medicine, 56(5), 254-264.
Unick, J. L., Beavers, D., Bond, D. S., Clark, J. M., Jakicic, J. M., Kitabchi, A. E.,… Wing, R. R. (2013). The long-term effectiveness of a lifestyle intervention in severely obese individuals. The American Journal of Medicine, 126(3), 236-242.