Effects of Obesity on African American Children
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ABSTRACT
Obesity is a major health concern in the united states of America. Over the last five years, childhood obesity has increased prevalent over the last decade. Childhood obesity is positively associated with the risk of obesity and premature death in adulthood. African American children between the ages of 6 to 18 have the highest rate of overweight compared to children of other races. Obesity in children could potentially create serious health consequences such as hypertension, risk of having diabetes type 2, heart diseases, and psychological depression. The literature demonstrates limited information about the impacts of parents’ behaviors on obesity. The study aims to describe the impacts obesity has on African American children and how low family support increases the health condition’s risk. The study will adopt a descriptive qualitative research method. Open-ended structured interviews are the proposed method for data collection to ensure accurate information is obtained. The study intends to use ten health workers as the sample size. Quantitative data will be analyzed with the aid of the Statistical Package for Social Scientists. The data will, after that, be analyzed into percentages, means, and frequencies. The study’s findings expect to raise awareness of the need to prevent obesity in African American children and lobby parents and guardians and the government from supporting children in the recovery process.
Effects of Obesity on African American Children
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 Background of the study
Obesity prevalence in children of African American descent is on the rise and relatively higher than white children. The disproportionately high cases of obesity in black American children have been in existence way before obesity emerged as a life-threatening health concern in the united states (Ash, Agaronov, Aftosmes-Tobio and Davison 2017). Children from low-income families are the most affected by obesity. Strategies to reduce the levels of obesity in African American children have yielded limited fruits. Girls have more childhood obesity than their boys’ counterparts (Lofton, Julion, McNaughton, Bergren and Keim 2016). Girls come in first with 24%, and boys follow with 17% of the total cases.
The primary cause of obesity is aggravated by an unhealthy lifestyle and poor diet (Ash, Agaronov, Aftosmes-Tobio and Davison 2017). Research has identified several barriers that affect the proper implementation of measures taken to prevent overweight associated with obesity. Traditional approaches of combating obesity in children, such as encouraging physical exercise and consumption of low cholesterol foods, proved futile due to the community’s economic status.
The proposal intends to advocate for political, social change, and lifestyle change by encouraging parents, medical providers, and community representatives to implement workable interventions to reduce overweight children. The stakeholders should understand the physical and psychological effects obesity has on children and how the condition contributes to the country’s social and economic impacts.
1.2 Problem Statement and Justification
Reduced physical activities influenced by advanced technology has led to an increase in obesity incidences worldwide. Modern living involves the consumption of cheaper high-calorie food and getting few to none physical exercises. Cases of obesity in the African American community are higher than in the European Community, and also, there has been a significant increase in the number of obesity. According to a health body report, children between the ages of 2-19 years, black children add up to 39% had a BMI level above the 85th percentile, compared to 27% of white children. The overweight rate in black children is almost double the rate of white children.
Past researchers have provided insights about the causes, health impact, treatment, and prevention of obesity in African American children. Numerous health risks are associated with obesity. Serious health problems include developing type 2 diabetes, hypertension, kidney disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and cancer (Lofton, Julion, McNaughton, Bergren, and Keim 2016). Excessive amounts of cholesterol increase the chance of developing hypertension, which leads to stroke. Children with obesity have a reduced life expectancy of between 4-10 years.
Obesity is pegged with high poverty and low income in families. Scientists have determined that socioeconomic factors contribute to the surge in childhood obesity. Children with a high body mass index consume fast food almost daily. The amount of fast foods in local eateries in poor communities is much higher than the higher-income population (Vedovato, Surkan, Jones-Smith, Steeves, Han, Trude and Gittelsohn 2016). Green vegetables and organic foods are readily available in higher-income white communities compared to black communities.
1.3 Significance of the Study
Obesity presents hard effects on children. Children with obesity need family, financial, therapeutic, and government support to keep them back on track to lose weight. Better strategies need to be developed to help families cultivate a healthy lifestyle and weight. Family environment influences the eating, nutrition, and physical exercise of children. This proposal aims to positively contribute to medical practice by proposing ways to improve African American children’s lifestyle.
Stress factors increase the risk of obesity in children. Stress in children is presented by child neglect, trauma caused by physical abuse, drug addiction, and cruel parenting. Children tend to deal with stress by finding comfort in food.
1.4 Research Questions
1. What are the leading causes of overweight in African American children?
2. How does obesity in children affect their potential adulthood health?
3. Why is obesity more prevalent in African American children?
4. What are the socio-economic factors that increase the risk of obesity in black children?
1.5 Hypotheses
Ho: Children obesity poses physical health problems to children.
Ho: Obesity in African American lowers children self-esteem and self-worth.
1.6 Objectives
The main objective of the proposal is to determine obesity cases of African American children in low-income populations.
The specific objectives are:
1. To identify the leading causes of obesity in African American children.
2. To establish the potential effects of the overweight condition in children’s adulthood health.
3. To determine the reasons why obesity is prevalent in African American children.
4. To identify the socio-economic factors that trigger obesity in children of color.
Effects of Obesity on African American Children
CHAPTER TWO
LITERATURE REVIEW
Introduction
This chapter describes the causes of obesity in African American children, and risk factors leading to obesity.
2.1 Causes of Obesity
There are approximately 42 million children under the age of 18 years who are obese. Of these, roughly 35 million children live in low-income communities (Lofton, Julion, McNaughton, Bergren, and Keim 2016). Healthy people describe the cause of obesity is the imbalance of energy consumption in foods and energy used mostly during physical exercise. Children with overweight parents are more likely to be obese, as well. Scientists have also determined that an individual’s genetic background and composition determine the risk of obesity.
2.1.1 Poor Nutritional Diet
Parents who fail to prepare and give their children healthy foods and a balanced diet put them at a high risk of being overweight. High-calorie foods and foods rich in sugars taken regularly in children lead to weight gain, leading weight gain. According to Woroniecki, Limou, Winkler, Reidy, Mitsnefes, and Kaskel, 2016, children with childhood obesity consume 24 ounces of sweetened soft drinks. Fast foods and convenience foods also tend to increase the risk of obesity. Most fast foods like burgers and French fries contain high levels of fats and calories that increase children’s weight. Food nutritionists determined fast foods have an increased number of calories but with low nutritional value. In a group, people tend to eat more fast foods containing high amounts of calories.
2.1.2 Genetic Background
The genetic composition of a person does not necessarily have an impact on their health. Scientists, however suggest that genes play a role in the development of obesity in the way people respond to the same environmental conditions (Woroniecki, Limou, Winkler, Reidy, Mitsnefes and Kaskel 2016). Most obesity cases result from multiple interactions of genes and the environment. Scientists claim that the mismatch between today’s environment and thrifty energy genes that doubled during drought spells of early man is strained
2.1.3 Physical Inactivity
The human body tends to gain weight when they are physically inactive. Exercises increase the amount of calories the body uses to provide energy. Physical activities and exercises burn calories and maintain weight. Being physically active reduces fat around the abdomen, thereby reducing abdominal obesity. According to Golden, Schneider, and Wood (2016), children of African American communities engage in sports and other physical activities.
2.1.4 Psychological Problems
Mental health conditions such as depression, anxiety, and eating disorders contribute to obesity in children of color. According to studies, there exists a relationship between eating habits and mental problems. Depression could be both a cause and a consequence of obesity. Researchers demonstrate that an increased anxiety symptom eventually increases the body mass index(BMI) (Vedovato, Surkan, Jones-Smith, Steeves, Han, Trude, and Gittelsohn 2016). Most obese children have reduced low self-esteem compared to children with average weight. Children who are overweight are subjected to bullying both at school and in homes, which results in eating disorders.
2.2 Health Risks Associated with Obesity
Childhood obesity affects children’s physical and mental health. The condition also affects the social wellbeing and their self-esteem. The menace has been linked to many medical conditions such as diabetes, heart diseases, and sleep apnea. Medical conditions associated with diabetes are prevented and disappear as the child grows older and maintains the appropriate weight.
2.2.1 Diabetes
Children struggling with obesity are likely to develop diabetes type 2. The condition can, however, be reversed through proper diet and physical exercise. Diabetes is defined as a medical condition in which the body does fail to metabolize glucose energy effectively. The disease could potentially lead to blindness and even death.
2.2.2 Cardiovascular Heart Disease
Foods rich in fat and salt content increases blood cholesterol levels and blood pressure. High blood pressure strains the heart and eventually could lead to stroke and even heart failure (Golden, Schneider and Wood 2016). High blood sugar levels, which is one of the characteristics of diabetes, leads to damaged blood arteries walls. Too much cholesterol in the bloodstream forms plague on damaged arteries and the heart. Cholesterol also leads to hardening of the arteries.
2.2.3 Mental health Problems
Childhood obesity affects children more so at the adolescence stage emotionally and mentally. The condition is one of the most stigmatizing conditions among children of ages 10-18 years (Assari and Caldwell 2017). Bullies target overweight children, and often, other children tend to exclude them from associating with them. Discrimination not only comes from their peers but also their teachers, parents, and guardians.
The children are excluded from intense physical activities such as being part of football clubs and basketball team. The children tend to be slower than their peers, and more often, they experience shortness of breath. The discrimination discourages children from continuing weight loss activities.
2.2.4 Sleep Disorder
Additional weight from fat around the head blocks obese children’s airways. This causes them to snore excessively in their sleep.
2.2.4 Osteoarthritis and Joint Pain
Additional weight stresses the pressure put on joints and the back. The pressure causes pain, and even in some instances, it could lead to bleeding and other complication (Assari and Caldwell 2017). Osteoarthritis is caused when extra weight wears away the cartilage protecting the joints and bones.
2.2.5 Cancer
Some types of childhood cancers are associated with being overweight. Breast, colon kidney, and oesophageal cancer are linked with obesity. Cancer developing in and around body organs like the heart grows because of the visceral fat cells that protect them. Excess fat prevents the circulation of oxygen, which triggers inflammation. Long-term inflammation caused by extra visceral fat damage the body and increases the risk of cancer and tumors.
2.3 Relationship between Poverty and Obesity
Children from low-income communities are more likely to be obese or overweight than their high-income and affluent counterparts. According to Assari and Caldwell, African American families are the leading families with the highest poverty level in the united states (Assari and Caldwell 2017). African American children living in a household where the breadwinner has a college degree are less likely to be obese than children living in homes with less education. Studies also concluded that the prevalence of childhood obesity has increased.
CHAPTER THREE
RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Introduction
Appropriate design methods, sample size, data collection, and analysis are discussed in this chapter. The chapter will also describe the ethical considerations to be applied in the proposed study.
3.1 Research Design
The study design should be the most suited to achieve accurate answers for the proposal. The study will adopt a descriptive qualitative research design to obtain health workers’ opinions and experiences with obese African American children. Quantitative research incorporates numerical data to get information, and thereby, the researcher will not use the study method as it is not applicable. The design will allow the researcher to explore perspectives, feelings, and experiences in a circumstance’s complexity through an all-inclusive framework. The plan will guide the study to identify the health and socioeconomic effects of obesity in children of color.
3.2 Population Sample
The study will recruit a purposive sample and recruit nursing personnel from the pediatric and obesity unit of a University teaching hospital. Suggests that qualitative researchers use a small sample size to obtain in-depth data information (Golden, Schneider and Wood 2016). A minimum of 7 people and a maximum of 10 people.
3.3 Data Collection
Data collection will involve the actual fieldwork to collect the primary data from sampled nurses (respondents). These methods would include; questionnaires, interviews, observation, interviews.
3.3.1 Interviews
The research will adopt open-ended, structured, and in-depth interviews. The specific data collection methods will allow the participants to discuss their views and experience in full detail. The interviews will be carried out on parents and healthcare providers of the obese African American children. The information from the interviews will help to gain a deeper understanding of the subject of the study. Face to face interviews will be conducted on the children to allow the interviewer to observe any non-verbal communication and to allow both the interviewer and the respondents to seek clarification in the case of confusion. The interviews will also be audio-recorded to ascertain the accuracy of information.
3.3.2 Questionnaires
Well-designed questionnaires will be used to collect data from nurses, parents and guardians, and community leaders. Both structured and unstructured questionnaires will be designed and applied to enable collecting qualitative data from the different levels of respondents.
3.4 Data Analysis
The purpose of data analysis is to organize and to structure data from a research study. Data will be collected, gathered, synthesized, interpreted, and communicated. Data will be analyzed in statistical tables, maps, and other diagrams suitable for such analysis and presentation. Qualitative data obtained from the open-ended questions in the questionnaires and interviews will be extracted and recorded. The common themes will then be identified, organized, and then discussed under the study’s main objective areas.
3.5 Ethical Consideration
The study will be undertaken once ethical approval has been declared from the research ethics committee. Most of the medical research conducted presents many ethical dilemmas of which should be identified before carrying out the research.
3.5.1 Beneficence and Non-Maleficence
The proposal aims at benefiting not only the African American children but also all other children with obesity. The study intends to cause no harm to the participants and the community at large. The researcher will monitor the children’s psychological condition to ensure the children as comfortable as possible. The researcher will uphold privacy and confidentiality, and all information will be depicted on the anonymity condition. During audio recording, the respondents’ names will be concealed to ensure their privacy and security are upheld. After that, data will be stored in protected computer systems that will only be accessed by the researcher.
3.5.2 Autonomy
The investigator of the project will respect the human right of silence or free choice. Before participating in the research, the researcher will ensure respondents consent to participate in the study. The respondents will be given the freedom of renegotiating the consent form features at any time during data collection. The option to withdraw from the research will also be accepted without any consequence or punishment.
3.5.3 Justice
All results analyzed and presented will be the facts described from the interviews and questionnaires. The respondents’ opinions and experiences will be accurately portrayed with no added false information or exaggeration.
APPENDIX
Appendix 1: Timeline
Phase Jan Feb Mar Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb
Literature review X X X
Research proposal X X X
Ethical approval X X
Negotiate sampling & access X X X
Pilot study X X
Data collection X X X
Data analysis X X X X
Revisit literature & writing X X
Peer review X X
Final draft X
Appendix 2: Budget
Expenses Cost in Dollars
Travel cost (gas) 100
Dictaphone/ Batteries/ Audiotapes 70
Phone and Internet WIFI Charges 120
Refreshments 70
Library Services 30
Books 50
Stationery 10
Photocopying and binding 105
Postage stamps 25
Computer software / printing ink 150
High definition Camera 110
Miscellaneous 110
Total 950
Appendix 3: Interview Guide for Obese Children
1. In your own words describe your perception of the current psychological care provided by nurses for African American children with obesity?
2. Explain your experience of providing care to children with obesity?
3. Have you ever felt overwhelmed when dealing with African American obese children?
4. According to your experience how many obese children have achieved the required healthy weight?
5. What are the some of the psychological care do you provide your obese children patients?
6. What type of responses have you experienced when attempting to discuss obesity and ways of managing it with the children?
Appendix 4: Data and Evaluation Tools
Data Evaluation Tool Program
Check Sheet Excel
Control Chart Excel
Histogram Excel
Stratification Excel
Design of Experiments (DOE) Excel
Appendix 5: Resource List
1. Describe the activities for which nursing staff will be responsible (Check all that apply):
Vital signs Blood draw Blood processing (i.e. Centrifuge, shipping) Specimen Collection Survey Administration
Other_____________________________________________________________________
2. Type and number of nurses sought_________________________
3.
TIME REQUIRED FOR EACH NURSE
Study Orientation Per Subject Contact Overall Participation
As Study Participant
As Data Collector
Other
4. Type and number of patients / research participants sought
5. Clinical areas to be involved
6. Time of day when data will be collected (day, night, or evening shift).
7. Data collection period (anticipated start and end dates).
8. Is there any equipment involved in this protocol? If yes, what type of equipment?
9. Space requirement
Appendix 6: Approval Form
PROJECT NAME:
PRINCIPLAL INVESTIGATOR:
Institution/ Department:
Telephone: Work Pager:
Email:
OTHER INVESTIGATORS
Name:
Title:
Application Number:
Approval Date:
Written Consent Required:
Appendix 7: Conceptual Framework
Factors Contributing to OBESITY Factors Preventing
Effects of Obesity on African American Children
REFERENCE
Ash, T., Agaronov, A., Aftosmes-Tobio, A., & Davison, K. K. (2017). Family-based childhood obesity prevention interventions: a systematic review and quantitative content analysis. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 14(1), 113.
Assari, S., & Caldwell, C. H. (2017). Low family support and risk of obesity among Black youth: role of gender and ethnicity. Children, 4(5), 36.
Golden, N. H., Schneider, M., & Wood, C. (2016). Preventing obesity and eating disorders in adolescents. Pediatrics, 138(3), e20161649.
Lofton, S., Julion, W. A., McNaughton, D. B., Bergren, M. D., & Keim, K. S. (2016). A systematic review of literature on culturally adapted obesity prevention interventions for African American youth. The Journal of School Nursing, 32(1), 32-46.
Vedovato, G. M., Surkan, P. J., Jones-Smith, J., Steeves, E. A., Han, E., Trude, A. C., … & Gittelsohn, J. (2016). Food insecurity, overweight and obesity among low-income African-American families in Baltimore City: associations with food-related perceptions. Public health nutrition, 19(8), 1405-1416.
Woroniecki, R. P., Ng, D. K., Limou, S., Winkler, C. A., Reidy, K. J., Mitsnefes, M., … & Kaskel, F. J. (2016). Renal and cardiovascular morbidities associated with APOL1 status among African-American and non-African-American children with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Frontiers in pediatrics, 4, 122.
Question
The proposal is the plan for an evidence-based practice project designed to address a problem, issue, or concern in the professional work setting. Although several types of evidence can be used to support a proposed solution, a sufficient and compelling base of support from valid research studies is required as the major component of that evidence. Proposals must be submitted in a format suitable for obtaining formal approval in the work setting. Proposals will vary in length depending upon the problem or issue addressed (3,500 and 5,000 words). The cover sheet, abstract, references pages, and appendices are not included in the word count.
Section headings for each section component are required. Evaluation of the proposal in all sections will be based upon the extent to which the depth of content reflects graduate-level critical thinking skills.
This project contains seven formal sections:
1. Section A: Organizational Culture and Readiness Assessment
2. Section B: Proposal/Problem Statement and Literature Review
3. Section C: Solution Description
4. Section D: Change Model
5. Section E: Implementation Plan
6. Section F: Evaluation of Process
Each section (A-F) will be submitted as a separate assignment in Topics 1-6 so your instructor can provide feedback (refer to applicable topics for complete descriptions of each section).
The final paper submission in Topic 7 will consist of the completed project (with revisions to all sections), title page, abstract, compiled references list, and appendices. Appendices will include a conceptual model for the project, handouts, data and evaluation collection tools, a budget, a timeline, resource lists, and approval forms, as previously assigned in individual section assignments.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
Effects of Obesity on African American Children