phase 5 final nursing research

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Lilisbet Alonso

Florida National University

Prof: Claudia Davis PhD, RN-BC

July 25, 2020

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Introduction

The section of the research provides the results that were obtained from the research

methods as specified in the methodology section in line with the research questions that the

research sought to answer. The data gathered from the various sources such as questionnaire, and

surveys are presented in this chapter, which includes nutritional practices in the community,

impact of obesity on nursing practice, percentage of obesity patient seeking intervention out of

the total obesity population, economic consequences of obesity in the population, obesity

intervention programs, and steps to managing obesity.

Nutritional practices of the communities

Good nutritional practices are essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. However, according to

the Center for Disease Control most of the Americans do not take a healthy diet. Among the

infants the main cause of obesity is improper breastfeeding, with only 25 percent of the total

infants being breastfed up to the required period of six months. Only 10 percent of adults and

adolescents eat enough fruits and vegetables, and 90 percent of the Americans aged 2 years or

older consume more sodium than required. Besides, 6 in every ten young people aged 2-19 years

and 5 in every 10 older adults consume sugary drinks (Center for Disease Control andf

Prevention ). This increases the risk of obesity due to accumulation saturated fats and sugars in

the body.

Impact of Obesity on nursing practice

Qualitative semi-structured interview was conducted to find how nursing practice is

impacted by obesity within primary care, and what are the best practices that can improve good

practices, and examine the barriers to achieving effective management. Twenty-five semi-

structured interviews were conducted with practices with practice nurses in Florida. The

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interviews were recorded in audio form and analyzed qualitatively. All the nurses described two

major roles. One was the provision of daily management to patients who demonstrated co-

morbid conditions and were constantly in clinics dealing with chronic illnesses. The nurses

admitted that such patients required regular attention to address their weight. The other role

played by the nurse was to approach overweight but healthy patients. However, in this case they

had divided opinion on how to address the patients and what the primary care would offer.

Advice was not consistent when regarding weight management.

Percentage population seeking medical intervention out of the total obese population

Out of the total sample of 100 people surveyed, 70 percent had consulted for intervention with a

care giver although this was based on the seriousness of the underlying condition. Those seeking

medical intervention comprised 40 percent, while those who were under obesity management

approaches such as taking healthy diet and engaging in regular exercising activities comprised 60

percent. This has been increasing over time and in line with the findings by the Center for

Disease Control and Prevention, the rates have been increasing. The Rate of obesity prevalence

has increased from 35.4 percent in 1999-2000 to 42.4 in 2017-2018, which shows that the

number has been raising and this will require even more motivating and sensitization programs

to encourage more obesity patients to participate in control programs (Center for Disease Control

and Prevention).

Economic Consequences of obesity

Obesity cases have significant economic implications for the United States healthcare system.

The number of obesity cases is rising and is associated with both direct and indirect costs. Direct

costs are those associated with treatment diagnostic and preventive service directly related to

obesity. Indirect costs are those associated with lost wages lost by individuals who have not been

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able to attend to carry out economic roles as a result of incapacitation due to obesity or the value

lost when a person dies prematurely. In 2000, the estimated direct and indirect cost stood at $117

billion, and a significant cost associated with obesity was as a result of type 2 diabetes and

hypertension (United States Public Health Service).

Intervention Programs for Obese cases

Intervention programs include the total change of life by eating a healthy diet and

exercising regularly. The recommended strategies to lower the risk of obesity include regular

weight assessment, which include the body mass index and the wait circumference to find out if

you are at risk of the disease. Another intervention is the maintenance of a healthy by ensuring

that BMI is at the right level. A high BMI will require balancing calories, losing weight, and

maintenance of a healthy weight in order to reduce the risk of the condition. Another

management program is through making healthy nutritional choices, which requires the analysis

of the current diets and making the right diet consideration that will prevent excessive

accumulation of fats. It also important to engage in physical exercises since they an important

way of managing weight by learning the different physical exercises and amount required each

day for a healthy living. Parents have a responsibility of educating their children how to establish

healthy behaviors especially eating habits (Center for Disease Control and Prevention ).

Steps to managing obesity

The first step in the management of obesity is taking the health history of the patient both

personal as well as family history regarding to prevalence to the condition. The next step is

taking a physical examination to find out any signs of the condition. Another important aspect is

to calculate body mass index to find if you have a healthy weight. Blood test follows in any case

the patient is exposed to some of the risk factors or the patient demonstrate some of the signs of

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the disease. However, the most important form of treatment is to change behavior in case the

patient is demonstrating signs of the disease and establishing a healthy lifestyle (Mayo Clinic,

2020).

Research Limitations

There a number of limitations that was identified during the entire research process. One

of the limitations is the scope of the research because it was covering the whole country which I

understand it is important to reduce the scope of the sample for consistency. The data was

obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, which was basically secondary that

can be manipulated. Besides, the research was based on quantitative technique which made it

quite difficult to obtain specific data regarding the research question and to enhance originality

because it relied on other researches. The research did not study the prevalence of diabetes

among the different age brackets which would make it necessary for future researchers to

research how age impacts the prevalence of diabetes among individuals. It is also important to

find out prevalence by race of an individual which would be an effective way of finding which

racial group requires more attention.

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References

Center for Disease Control and Prevention . (n.d.). Strategies to Prevent Obesity. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/index.html

Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (n.d.). Adult Obesity Facts. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html#:~:text=Obesity%20affects%20some%20gr

oups%20more%20than%20others&text=The%20prevalence%20of%20obesity%20was%

2040.0%25%20among%20young%20adults%20aged,adults%20aged%2060%20and%20

older.

Center for Disease Control andf Prevention . (n.d.). Poor Nutrition. Retrieved from

https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/nutrition.htm

Mayo Clinic. (2020). Obesity Diagnostic. Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-

conditions/obesity/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20375749

United States Public Health Service. Office of the Surgeon General, United States. Office of

Disease Prevention, Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control, & Prevention (US).

(2001). The Surgeon General's call to action to prevent and decrease overweight and

obesity. US Government Printing Office.