Practice Issue
The topic
Obesity Caused by the Consumption of Fast Food.
The nursing practice issue related to the topic
This assignment will be focused on the consumption of fast food as one of the factors that increase the prevalence of obesity among children.
The scope of the practice issue
This paper will examine the health behaviors of elementary school-aged children; other age groups will not be included. The proposed intervention will emphasize the necessity to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables as a method of reducing the consumption of fast food.
The practice area
Education. In this case, nurses will have to act as educators who help parents and children understand the positive impacts of a proper diet.
How the practice issue was identified
- Significant financial concerns
- Clinical practice issue is a concern
- Other
I identified this issue by studying the statistical data indicating the rising rates of childhood obesity. This trend can be explained by the growing consumption of fast food. In the long run, this problem can lead to several complications such as heart diseases and diabetes. Furthermore, this issue significantly increases the costs incurred by medical institutions and patients.
Evidence that must be gathered
Much attention was paid to the scholarly literature assessing different interventions aimed at reducing the consumption of fast food. One has to examine systematic reviews and randomized controlled trials because they represent the highest levels of evidence.
Evidence Summary
The practice problem
This practice problem is based on the following question:
Does the increase in the intake of fruit and vegetables diminish the monthly consumption of fast food among elementary school-aged children?
A high percentage of elementary school children consume large amounts of fast-food. As a result, they are more exposed to the risk of obesity. While addressing this issue, nurses should consider such indicators as the consumption of fast food and the prevalence of obesity.
The objectives of the article
The study by Janicke et al. (2014) evaluates the effectiveness of comprehensive behavioral family lifestyle interventions (CBFLI) in minimizing the prevalence of childhood obesity.
The questions being addressed in the work and in relation to the practice issue
Can CBFLI help children cope with overweight?
How is the efficiency of CBFLI affected by such factors as the age of a child, his/her sex, the degree of parental involvement, and intensity of treatment?
These questions are closely related to my practice issue and objectives. In particular, they are focused on the problem of obesity among children and the strategies for addressing this problem. The practice issue that I have identified is also related to this healthcare problem and the interventions that may help children affected by overweight.
The interventions the authors of the systematic review article suggest to improve patient outcomes
CBFLI can be useful in addressing the problem of overweight among children. These interventions include several components, namely, the changes in caloric intake, increased physical activity, and participation in organized sports.
The main findings by the authors of the systematic review
The scholars report that the use of CBFLI is helpful in reducing overweight. They note that the increased duration of this treatment is associated with improved weight outcomes. The greater age of a child also contributes to the improved outcomes (Janicke et al., 2014).
The authors give various grades to assess the strength of evidence for various outcomes. They are as follows.
- Changes in BMI score – moderate quality of evidence;
- Caloric intake – low quality of evidence (Janicke et al., 2014).
This article can assist me in identifying the interventions whose effectiveness is supported by evidence.
The article by Pyper, Harrington, and Manson (2016) will also be relevant to my project. This research should be considered because it identifies the factors that strengthen the motivation of a child to start a healthy diet. In particular, these researchers emphasize the role of parental involvement (Pyper et al., 2016).
Evidence-based solutions for the project
- The interventions encouraging children to increase the intake of fruit and vegetables;
- Strong parental involvement motivating children to adopt healthy lifestyles;
- Increased physical activity.
Limitations to the studies
There are several limitations that can restrict the applicability of these studies to the project. Firstly, Janicke et al. (2014) note that some of their reviewed studies were flawed by missing data, the risk of bias, and the use of ineffective analytical methods. The article by Pyper et al. (2016) also has a serious short-coming; in particular, it is based only on the responses given by parents; there was no opportunity to study the opinions of children.
References
Janicke, D., Steele, R., Gayes, L., Lim, K., Clifford, L., Schneider, E.,…Westen, S. (2014). Systematic review and meta-analysis of comprehensive behavioral family lifestyle interventions addressing pediatric obesity. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 39(8), 809-825.
Pyper, E., Harrington, D., & Manson, H. (2016). The impact of different types of parental support behaviours on child physical activity, healthy eating, and screen time: A cross-sectional study. BMC Public Health, 16(1), 1-15.