CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Sandrine Mbieh
NURS 523: Health Promotion
University of North Dakota
 Introduction: Overview
• Obesity is weight that is higher than what is considered healthy for a given height.

• Screening/Diagnosing tool:
 Body Mass Index (BMI)= weight in kilogram divided by height in meters squared.
 A BMI of 30 or higher indicates obesity
• Risk Factors/Causes
 Inactivity
 Unhealthy diet
 Lack of sleep
 Socio-economic issues
 Certain medications (MayoClinic, 2018)
 Overview cont…
• Complications
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Stroke
Cancer
Sleep apnea
Type 2 diabetes
 Relevant Data
• National Statistics
13.9% of 2- to 5-year-olds,
18.4% of 6- to 11-year-olds, and
20.6% of 12- to 19-year-olds have obesity.
• State statistics
• TN: 20.5%
• MS: 21.9%
• SC: 21.5%
• Racial Statistics
Latino children (25.8%),
Black children (22%),
White children (14.1%), and
Asian children (11.0%) (The State of Obesity, 2018).
Target population: ~School age children 6-12years old
• A child is referred to as obese if his or her BMI is
greater than 95%.
• Childhood obesity is the most chronic disease in
childhood.
Statistics:
1 in 5 school age children in the United States
are obese (CDC, 2018)
Obese children are 70% more likely to be
obese in adulthood.
 Population Considerations
• Age:
Unable to comprehend the dangers of obesity due to their
brain not being fully developed.
• Cultural:
Parental beliefs
• Population vulnerabilities/Barriers:
Completely dependent on care takers or parents for
decision making and finances.
Lack of parental knowledge on the complications of
childhood obesity.
(Redsell et al, 2013).
 Goals /Objectives
Global goal
• Prevent childhood obesity through early childcare and schools.

Objectives
• By December 31, 2019, the rate of childhood obesity in the participating
community will decrease by 1%.
• By December 31, 2019, the school in the participating community will offer daily
active recess opportunities.
• By December 31 2019, the school in the participating community will offer only
healthy foods to kids at school.
 Health Belief Model
• Predicts individuals who would or would not use preventive measures.

This includes parents that are interested in having their kids eat healthy
foods and exercise in order to prevent them from being obese.

• Suggest interventions that might increase the willingness of resistant individuals

to engage in preventive behaviors.

For instance educating parents on the complications of childhood obesity.

(Murdaugh, Parsons & Pender, 2019

Definition of Core Concepts in relation to Obesity
Perceived susceptibility: Individual’s knowledge of the risk factors for obesity.

Perceived severity: Individual’s awareness of complications of obesity.

Perceived benefits: Individual’s belief that exercising and eating healthy will help
prevent obesity.

Perceived costs: The accessibility of healthy foods and physical activities.

Motivation: The desire to comply with eating healthy foods and exercising.

Modifying factors: Personality variables, patient satisfaction, and socio-demographic

factors.
 Health Promotion Intervention
• Establish school environments that support healthy eating and
physical activity.

• Implement a comprehensive physical activity program with quality

physical education as the cornerstone.

• Partner with families and the community in the development and

implementation of healthy eating and physical activity practices.
Interventions cont...
Increase intake of healthy foods at school.

Promote access to free drinking water.

Increase awareness of the dangers of childhood

obesity in the community.

Increase physical activity level before, during

and after school through active recess.
Current Evidence-Based practice guidelines
• HENRY [Health Exercise Nutrition for the Really Young]

An evidenced based obesity reduction program that helps families make positive
lifestyle changes (Bouch, 2017).

Encourages balanced diet, healthy family routines, breastfeeding, physical activity,

and sleep.
• School Health Guidelines
Use a coordinated approach to develop, implement, and evaluate healthy eating and
physical activity policies and practices.
 Interprofessional team members
• Parents:
Offer healthy meals and physical activities to kids.
• School nurse:
Educate children and parents on the benefits of eating healthy foods and
exercising.
• Community nurse:
Educate the community on the dangers of obesity.
• Teachers
Organize active recess for students.
• Social workers:
Provide resources for obtaining financial assistance.
 Summative Evaluation
• Objectives could be measured by;

Surveying the participating school in the community, to evaluate the foods and
recess activities being offered to students.

Surveying participating families in the community to evaluate what kinds of foods

they offer to their kids.

Assess the body mass index of kids in the participating community with permission
from parents. This information could be obtained from the school nurse, and would
be used to evaluate the childhood obesity rate at the moment.
 Formative Evaluation
• Assess the compliance rate of the parents, note their barriers and inquire
about ways to resolve them.

• Assess the compliance rate of the schools and inquire about ways to
improve.

• Give parents a spread sheet to log in the various foods and activities they
offer to their children weekly.
 Conclusion
• Nationally, the rates of childhood obesity have been increasing over the years.

• Due to their age, school aged children are unable to comprehend the complications of
obesity, and as such they are dependent on their parents who are sometimes not
knowledgeable on the topic as well..

• Childhood obesity can be prevented through healthy eating and exercising, in order to avoid
complications such as heart disease, diabetes, and sleep apnea.

• Interprofessional team members who can assist these kids stay healthy include parents,
teachers, social workers, community and school nurses.
 References
Bouch, A.B. (2017). Childhood obesity: an overview of the existing barriers to the
health practitioner’s role in providing effective intervention. Retrieved from
https://www.communitypractitioner.co.uk/resources/2017/07/childhood-
obesity-overview-existing-barriers-health-practitioner’s-role-providing
Centers for Disease control and Prevention (2018).School health guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/npao/strategies.htm
CDC, (2018). Prevention Strategies & Guidelines. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/resources/strategies-guidelines.html
Murdaugh, C.L., Parsons, M.A., & Pender, N.L. (2019). Health promotion in nursing
practice (8th ed.) New York, NY: Pearson.
 References cont..
New York State (2016). Prevention Agenda 2013-2018: Preventing Chronic Diseases Action
Plan. Retrieved from
https://www.health.ny.gov/prevention/prevention_agenda/2013
2017/plan/chronic_diseases/focus_area_1.htm
NursingPlanet (2012). The health belief model. Retrieved from
http://currentnursing.com/nursing_theory/health_belief_model.html
Redsell, S.A.; Atkinson, P.; Nathan, D.; Siriwardena, A.N.; Swift, J.A.; and
Glazebrook, C. (2013). UK Health Visitors’ Role in Identifying and Intervening
with Infants at Risk of Developing Obesity. Maternal and Child Nutrition, 9 (3).
The State of Obesity (2018). Childhood Obesity Trends. Retreived from
https://stateofobesity.org/childhood-obesity-trends/