CULTURAL CONSIDERATIONS

Serena Hulsey

“Identify any genetic predisposition your chosen population has to a particular disease and develop primary practice interventions that reflect the cultural considerations of the population.”

            There is a rising epidemic of overweight children and teenagers in the United States. Obesity in children and teenagers may have hereditary causes. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in the FTO gene has been related to an increased risk of obesity, making it one of the genetic predispositions linked to obesity (Chama-Avilés et al., 2023). An increased risk of childhood and adolescent obesity has been linked to an SNP in the FTO gene. Several populations, including the United States, have found that carrying this SNP is associated with a greater likelihood of being overweight. Specific genetic variants, including those in the MC4R, LEP, and PPARG genes, have also been linked to an increased probability of being overweight or obese. Nurse practitioners should be aware of these predispositions when treating children and adolescents, as they may contribute to the rise of obesity in the United States.

            Primary practice strategies for the prevention and treatment of childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States should take into account the cultural norms and values of the population being served. Nurse practitioners, for instance, need to make an effort to foster a welcoming and accepting atmosphere for their patients. This can be achieved through encouraging health literacy through education and communication and respecting and honoring individual and cultural views (Kibakaya & Oyeku, 2022). In addition, NPs should make an effort to supply culturally relevant resources, such as healthy food selections, nutrition education, and exercise programs. Furthermore, nurse practitioners must be familiar with cultural considerations when addressing genetic variables contributing to obesity.

“Develop culturally appropriate, measurable interventions to help your population members maintain an optimal state of health, avoiding the problem that you identified them being at risk for developing.”

 

            Helping kids and teens in the US stay healthy and avoid excess weight requires interventions sensitive to their cultural backgrounds. Making available culturally relevant information is the first step in creating successful interventions for children and adolescent obesity. This involves allocating funds to support healthy food provision, nutrition education, and exercise initiatives. A nurse practitioner may work with community groups to offer food and nutrition education to families and kids. Enhancing health literacy is the second phase of creating interventions that fit a particular culture. In order to achieve this goal, it is essential to inform people about the hazards of obesity and the advantages of a healthy diet and regular exercise (Herbst et al., 2019).

             Nurse practitioners should also stress the need to inform patients and their families about possible hereditary predispositions to obesity and how these might be mitigated via lifestyle changes. As a third step in establishing culturally relevant solutions, making the space welcoming and accepting of all is essential. Nurse practitioners need to be cognizant of their own prejudices and sensitive to those of their patients. Nurse practitioners should also be ready to combat any prejudice their patients may face because of their weight and work hard to put themselves in their patient's shoes. Last but not least, nurse practitioners must be set up to aid in maintaining positive behavior modifications. Educating and supporting families so they can foster circumstances that encourage healthy practices is an essential part of this work. As a further measure, nurse practitioners should check in with patients and their families frequently to see how they are doing and whether or not they need any more assistance in reaching their health goals.

 

 

 

 

References

Chama-Avilés, A., Flores-Viveros, K. L., Cabrera-Ayala, J. A., Aguilar-Galarza, A., García-    Muñoz, W., Haddad-Talancón, L., ... & Moreno-Celis, U. (2023). Identification and             Association of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms of the FTO Gene with Indicators of             Overweight and Obesity in a Young Mexican Population.  Genes,  14(1), 159.

Herbst, R. B., Khalsa, A. S., Schlottmann, H., Kerrey, M. K., Glass, K., & Burkhardt, M. C. (2019).        Effective implementation of culturally appropriate tools in addressing overweight and obesity in an urban underserved early childhood population in pediatric primary care.  Clinical Pediatrics,  58(5), 511-520.

Kibakaya, E. C., & Oyeku, S. O. (2022). Cultural humility: a critical step in achieving health             equity.  Pediatrics,  149(2).