Reflection on Learning

Hello Dr Kyzar and Class

· Does the research design answer the research question? Explain your rationale.

Lloyd et al., 2018 focused at establishig whether the school-based interventions for children of ages 9-10 years would help in preventive excessive weight gain after 24 months. The researchers used pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial of the Healthier Lifestyle Programme (HeLP) which is a school-based obesity prevention intervention that was performed in 32 schools found in the southwest England. This method is revealing school as the ideal location for the childhood obesity preventiuon programs due to the near-universal reach f children in the socioeconomic spectrum. It also shows the importance of the change in the diet and physical activity behaviors and their impacts on the weight status (Lloyd, et al., 2018). Were the study sample participants representative? Why or why not?

The sample calculation assumed a mean of 35 children age 9-10 years in every school and this implies that a total of 1,120 samples were used. This is a good number that can represents the problems at the 32 schools that were being targeted by the researchers.

Compare and contrast the study limitations in this study.

The findings of the study shows that the effectiveness of the school-based obesity prevention programmed is inconclusive and contradictory. The interventions used are highly heterogenous in the design and most of the studies used for the research have some methodological weaknesses for example the inadequate statistical power, greater levels of attrition, differential uptake, follow-up, and the short-lived follow-up.

· Based on this evidence summary, would you consider this systematic review as support for your selected practice problem? Explain your rationale.

Two themes were considered to be important i.e. energy in and decision making and the responsibility. It is clear that school hosts many children and can therefore be used as ideal place to deliver the population-based interventions. Even though it might not adequately intensed to affect both school and the family environment hence wieght of the children, it needs to be promoted since it helps in changing the health behaviors of the children. This is important in addressing the issue of childhood obesity sinnce it helps in promoting healthy behaviors among children (Lloyd , et al., 2018).

References

Lloyd, J., CStat, C. S., Logan, S., Green, C., Dean, S., Hillsdon , M., Abraham, C., Tomlinson, R., Pearson, V., Taylor, R., Ryan, E., Price, L., Streeter, A., Wyatt, K., & Wyatt, K. (2018). Effectiveness of the Healthy Lifestyles Programme (HeLP) to prevent obesity in UK primary-school children: a cluster randomised controlled trial. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health, 2(1), 35-45. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2352-4642(17)30151-7