ANSWER
Answers to Danielle Jonathas Deluscar
Daniels, I like your careful evaluation of your local dining scene and how it affects health. You make a significant point on how food pantries and zoning rules could act as interventions encouraging better options. Your excellent example of evaluating a patient’s eating patterns and removing obstacles like budgetary restrictions and ignorance of help programmes captures the vital part nurses play in reducing food poverty.
Furthermore adding to your conversation are community-supported agriculture (CSA) initiatives. CSAs open chances for community involvement and offer reasonably priced, locally sourced food. Studies indicate that programmes like CSAs not only enhance access to healthy food but also raise fruit and vegetable consumption, therefore lowering the risk of chronic diseases (Thompson et al., 2021). Nurses can improve food access and nutritional knowledge in their areas by supporting alliances between nearby businesses and farmers.
Reference: Thompson, C.; Hazan, A.; & McCann, S. E. (2021). Community-supported agriculture is one way low-income groups could better have access to fruits and vegetables. 53(4), 357–363 Journal of Nutrition Education and Behaviour. 10.1016/j.jneb.2020.12.001 https://doi.org
In response to Gretchen Terrington
Gretchen, your remark on the close proximity of unhealthy food shops to educational institutions is absolutely important. As you point out, especially among younger people, these channels can significantly affect eating patterns. Your example of involving a diabetic educator and offering customised dietary education to treat a patient’s hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state highlights the need of multidisciplinary cooperation in advancing lifestyle modifications.
Building on your research, laws restricting fast food marketing close to schools or offering incentives for better food outlets will help greatly reduce the negative effects of bad food surroundings. Policies aimed at lowering sugary drink consumption and enhancing nutritional labelling have been successful in altering behaviour and lowering prevalence of type 2 diabetes among underprivileged groups (Afshin et al., 2019). Promoting these legislative measures would help your community’s health as well as those of patients like the one you detailed.
Reference: Afshin, A.; Peñalvo, J.; Del Gobbo, L.; Silva, J.; Michaelson, M.; O’Flaherty, M.; Capewell, S. (2019). Dietary patterns and policies’ effects on cardiometabolic health. Nature Reviews Endocrinology, 15 (3), 179–190. 10.1038/s41574-018-0121-9 doi.org/10.1038
QUESTION
Population Health Nursing week 2 peers response
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Respond to your peer in one paragraph. These posts should be thoughtful, respectful, and add value to the discussion. This response could include relating your experience to whatever they initially posted. Use a different scholarly source, reference it using APA format, and include in-text citations when using the referenced material in your post.
1st peer post:
Danielle Jonathas Deluscar
Mar 13, 2024 at 10:23 PM
Based on the food outlets listed at THE CROSSLANDS plaza near my house, I’ve observed a mix of options that could impact my health differently. Healthy Outlets: The Fresh Market – Typically offers fresh produce, whole grains, and healthier food options. Starbucks – Offers some healthier options such as salads, fruit cups, and oatmeal. Unhealthy outlets: Burger Fi, Cheddar’s, Outback Steakhouse, Party City, Pie Fiction, Pollo Tropical, Soupa Blvd, and Dollar Tree offer food options that vary in nutritional value. They range from fast food items high in calories, saturated fats, and sodium, to dishes and snacks that may be high in sugar or unhealthy fats.
To promote a healthier micro-food environment, I could advocate for local policies such as zoning regulations that encourage more healthy food outlets and opening more food pantries with nutritious options for those who can’t afford healthy food but don’t qualify for assistance such as food stamps. Additionally, I could explore alternatives like meal prepping at home using ingredients from The Fresh Market or even other nearby stores such as Walmart and Publix.
In my recent assessment with a patient, I asked about their access to grocery stores, transportation, financial constraints, awareness of food assistance programs, and dietary habits to pinpoint any food insecurity or healthy food access issues that could impact their health. They disclosed experiencing financial challenges due to inflation, which impacted their ability to afford nutritious food despite the proximity of stores such as Walmart and Publix. Notably, their reliance on personal transportation underscored their mobility for accessing food sources. However, they expressed limited knowledge about available food assistance programs and believed their income status disqualified them from eligibility. Their dietary intake predominantly consisted of economical options like rice, chicken, and ramen noodles, lacking in nutritional balance. To address these concerns, I provided tailored recommendations, including guidance on budget-conscious healthy eating strategies. I highlighted local resources for food assistance such as food pantries close to her home, to empower them to make more healthful dietary choices within their financial constraints.
Reference
Lovasi, G., Bader, M., Rundle, A. & Neckerman, K. (2018). Healthy and unhealthy food sources in New York City. In R. A. Hiatt (Ed.), Population health: The translation of research to policy case studies and commentary
2nd peer post:
Gretchen Terrington
Mar 13, 2024 at 10:26 PM
In the area I live in, I have two different popular strip mall type of stores on different blocks. The first are has a Big Lots, Taco Bell, Sports Bar, Chinese Restaurant, UPS, and Dry Cleaner. The second has Walmart, Whataburger, Outlet Store, Sports Store, Nutrition Store, and Target. From the first the outlets that should be considered healthy are big lots, ups, and dry cleaners. From the first the unhealthy should be considered as taco bell, sports bar, and Chinese restaurant. In the second the healthy options would be Walmart, outlet store, sports store, nutrition store, and target. From the second the unhealthy one would be Whataburger. I chose the healthy versed on the unhealthy based on what is inside the stores. If the stores offer any healthy options versus the harmful options the stores offer. From the research it talks about these unhealthy food outlets being located close to schools and promoting to the younger population (Lovasi et al, 2021). This had me thinking about the area I live in and how there are four different schools in my immediate area located near these unhealthy food outlets and the effects their promotion will have on my children. Offering more nutritional value in the food outlets and a “greener” option in order to properly educate and motivate our younger generation.
This week I had a patient who was admitted to the ICU for HHS (hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state). This condition is associated with type II diabetes who have an extremely high blood sugar level. This patient reported to me that she eats a lot of Debbie cakes and drinks a lot of coke throughout the day. She told me she does not see this as a problem because she takes her medicine as described and checks her sugar once daily. Within the interdisciplinary team concerning this patient we consult the diabetic educator to provide proper nutritional necessities related to her disease process. I provided education and assessed understanding of proper diet restrictions concerning her disease while also offering healthy alternatives to her cravings. I also provided alternatives that her disease process could cause if she did not follow the diet recommendations. The patient was able to discharge two days later after demonstrating her readiness and understanding of the education.
References:
Lovasi, G., Bader, M., Rundle, A. & Neckerman, K. (2018). Healthy and unhealthy food sources in New York City. In R. A. Hiatt (Ed.), Population health: The translation of research to policy case studies and commentary Open this document with ReadSpeaker docReader . Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Milbank Memorial Fund.