NURS 6512 Case Study Assignment: Assessment of Nutrition in Children
CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION IN CHILDREN
Case Study Assignment: Assessment of Nutrition in Children
The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity is markedly increasing, especially in developing countries. Approximately a third of children and adolescents in the United States are either overweight or obese (Smith et al., 2020). This trend is worrisome and is a public health threat that requires sustainable solutions. The etiology of obesity is multifactorial and entails an interplay of genetic, biological, health-behavioral, psychological, developmental, and environmental factors (Smith et al., 2020). An unhealthy diet and physical inactivity are the leading predispositions to obesity among children and adolescents. The association of obesity with an increased burden of non-communicable diseases warrants the effective mitigation and prevention measures implementation (Kansra et al., 2021). Currently, available interventions target behavior changes through health-promoting lifestyle modification.
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The paper intends to assess the weight-related health of a 16-year-old female who lives with her normal-weight mother and overweight stepfather. The specific aspects covered include a description of the health issues and risks relevant to this child, additional information required to assess her weight-related health, and specific requirements needed to gather further information. Specific questions about the child will also be addressed to the parents and caregivers while considering their potential sensitivities. Finally, strategies to encourage proactive engagement of the parents and caregivers in the child’s health and weight will be availed.
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Health Issues and Risks
The child’s mother in this health case has normal weight, whereas her stepfather is obese. Despite genetics playing an integral role in the occurrence of obesity, other additive factors should be considered. There is an established association between parental weight status and the incidence of childhood obesity, with higher associations if both parents are obese (Lee et al., 2022). This is true even in the absence of a biological relationship as in this case. Factors such as parenting practices, home environment, lifestyle habits, parental weight status, socio-economic status, parent-child dynamics, and the quality of family meals play an integral role in the child’s eating and weight-related outcomes (Larsen et al., 2021). This may influence the predisposition to childhood obesity.
Obesity has implications for various consequential health issues and risks. Obesity is related to multiple physical and psychological morbid outcomes. It increases the risk of menstrual irregularities, early puberty, sleep disorders like obstructive sleep apnea, diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and various cardiovascular diseases (Kansra et al., 2021). Adverse psychological effects include depressive illness, poor self-esteem, eating disorders, and body image issues (Kansra et al., 2021). Obesity has also been associated with the development of various cancers such as colon and breast cancers (Sanyaolu et al., 2019). Most of the physical morbid effects occur later in adulthood and contribute to significant disease burdens, economic burdens, premature mortality, and decreased quality of life. Interventions to reduce the prevalence and resultant outcomes require measures at individual, community, and state levels with adequate engagement and collaboration among stakeholders.
Additional Information for Further Assessment of Weight-Related Health
Various modalities are available for the assessment of weight status. The Body mass index is the most widely adopted and cost-effective approach. BMI indirectly assesses body fat by adopting the formula [BMI = weight (kg)/ height (m)^2] (Balasundaram et al., 2022). The findings from the calculation can then be classified as normal, overweight, and obese depending on normal ranges based on age and gender (Balasundaram et al., 2022). The trends in BMI measurements reveal trajectories on the progression, severity, or clues on the possible cause. Other available anthropometric measurements include waist and hip circumference, waist-hip ratio, and body fat percentage (Golia et al., 2020). Laboratory investigations can assess the health risks associated with obesity. Tests such as the lipid profile, blood sugar level, and liver function tests can detect obesity-related disorders such as diabetes, dyslipidemia, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (Tiwari et al., 2022). This will be guided by patient-specific factors and presentations.
Risks and Further Information Needed for Full Comprehension of the Child’s Health
Additional information that will provide insights into the child’s health will be obtained from the corroborative history obtained from the parents and caregivers. A history of the child’s development including the birth weight, growth charts, and behavior changes concerning physical activity and eating habits will be integral (Tiwari et al., 2022). A family history of obesity will determine the presence of genetic predisposition. Information suggestive of obesity-related outcomes such as obstructive sleep apnea and diabetes will also be contributory. The presence of secondary risk factors such as the use of obesity-associated medications should be determined.
Information will need to be obtained sensitively for meaningful feedback. Important considerations during weight-related health discussions include avoidance of judgment, appropriate tone and approach, proper timing of the discussions, having regard for parental expertise, and provision of concrete case-sensitive recommendations (Uy et al., 2018). Open communication, adequate engagement, and courteous interactions that foster mutual trust should be maintained.
Specific Questions to the Parents
Strategies to Enhance Parental Proactive Involvement in Their Child’s Health and Weight
Parents have a significant impact on their children’s dietary and physical activity behavior. This determines the child’s weight status, overall health, and predisposition to obesity. Certain strategies can thus be adopted to promote the engagement of parents in their child’s health and weight. The inclusion of parents in the child’s health and weight management and treatment interventions has been shown to positively influence the child’s weight and weight-related outcomes (Tomayko et al., 2021). Parents should also be educated on the benefits of proactive engagement in their child’s health and weight through role modeling of positive behaviors, and reward and recognition of positive behaviors (Cozett et al., 2022). This will encourage the adoption of healthy lifestyles among children who frequently look up to their parents.
Conclusion
Obesity is a rapidly rising public health threat among children and adolescents. This is attributed to the interplay of various biological, environmental, psychological, and developmental factors. The major contributor to the rising prevalence is a sedentary lifestyle that embraces poor diet and physical inactivity. Childhood obesity is associated with various physical and psychological outcomes such as cardiovascular diseases and depressive illness. Assessment of obesity is achieved through anthropometric measurements such as BMI, laboratory investigations to detect obesity-related disorders, and contributory information from subjective history. Parental involvement in their child’s health and weight is integral to desirable child’s health and weight-related outcomes.
References
Balasundaram, P., & Krishna, S. (2022). Obesity Effects On Child Health. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Cozett, C., & Roman, N. V. (2022). Recommendations to enhance parental involvement and adolescent participation in physical activity. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(3), 1333. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031333
Golia, N., Krishan, K., & Kashyap, J. R. (2020). Assessment of obesity by using various anthropometric measurements among patients with coronary heart disease residing in North India. Cureus. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.7948
Kansra, A. R., Lakkunarajah, S., & Jay, M. S. (2021). Childhood and adolescent obesity: A Review. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fped.2020.581461
Larsen, J. K. (2021). The importance of parents for childhood and Adolescent obesity prevention: Should we pay more attention to automatic processes and parental stress? Nutrients, 13(9), 3185. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093185
Lee, J. S., Jin, M. H., & Lee, H. J. (2022). Global relationship between parent and child obesity: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Clinical and experimental pediatrics, 65(1), 35–46. https://doi.org/10.3345/cep.2020.01620
Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: A public health concern. Global Pediatric Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794×19891305
Smith, J. D., Fu, E., & Kobayashi, M. A. (2020). Prevention and Management of Childhood Obesity and Its Psychological and Health Comorbidities. Annual review of clinical psychology, 16, 351–378. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-clinpsy-100219-060201
Tiwari, A., & Balasundaram, P. (2022). Obesity in Pediatric Patients. In StatPearls. StatPearls Publishing.
Tomayko, E. J., Tovar, A., Fitzgerald, N., Howe, C. L., Hingle, M. D., Murphy, M. P., Muzaffar, H., Going, S. B., & Hubbs-Tait, L. (2021). Parent involvement in diet or physical activity interventions to treat or prevent childhood obesity: An Umbrella Review. Nutrients, 13(9), 3227. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13093227
Uy, M. J., Pereira, M. A., Berge, J. M., & Loth, K. A. (2018). How should we approach and discuss children’s weight with parents? A qualitative analysis of recommendations from parents of preschool-aged children to physicians. Clinical Pediatrics, 58(2), 226–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922818812489
Case Study Assignment: Assessment of Nutrition in Children
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.
Not only do these diagnostic tests affect adults, body measurements can provide a general picture of whether a child is receiving adequate nutrition or is at risk for health issues. These data, however, are just one aspect to be considered. Lifestyle, family history, and culture—among other factors—are also relevant. That said, gathering and communicating this information can be a delicate process.
For this Assignment, you will consider examples of children with various weight issues. You will explore how you could effectively gather information and encourage parents and caregivers to be proactive about their children’s health and weight.
Resources
Be sure to review the Learning Resources before completing this activity.
Click the weekly resources link to access the resources.
To Prepare
- Review this week’s Learning Resources and consider factors that impact the validity and reliability of various assessment tools and diagnostic tests. You also will review examples of pediatric patients and their families as it relates to BMI.
- Based on the risks you might identify consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Consider how you could encourage parents or caregivers to be proactive toward the child’s health.
The Assignment
Assignment (3–4 pages, not including title and reference pages):
Assignment: Child Health Case:
Include the following:
- An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned.
- Describe additional information you would need in order to further assess his or her weight-related health.
- Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information.
- Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.
By Day 6 of Week 3
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submission information
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I enjoyed reading your post this week. Inequity regarding one’s ability to receive quality healthcare in the United States is an ongoing problem in this country. Because of these disparities, anyone receiving poor care may quickly develop a mistrust toward the healthcare system and its members. Medical distrust is the need for more confidence in medical professionals and institutions to act in patients’ best interests, be truthful, maintain patient confidentiality, and possess the necessary skills (Jaiswal & Halkitis, 2019). Patients who develop mistrust toward the healthcare system and its members can lead to increased non-compliance to treatment plans and are often blamed by their providers for adverse outcomes (“Understanding and Ameliorating Medical Mistrust Among Black Americans,†2021). In this patient’s case, the foundation of trust must begin at the beginning of the health history inquiry. If trust is established, our patient will be more willing to disclose the information to indirectly answer a specific concern, such as not being able to receive medication on this visit for his problem. Herman (2022) states that these disparities help explain why some communities experience worse health outcomes, unequal access to treatments, and gaps in health insurance coverage. As providers, we must recognize these disparities and customize our data collection processes to uncover if these disparities are present and experienced by our patients. By creating safe and welcoming environments for an underserved population, trust can be created long before the actual interaction with the healthcare provider occurs. This begins with the interactions with every staff member working within the facility. Employees must be aware that they may interact with patients at any time during their workday; therefore, training must be extended to all employees. This training must begin with teaching diversity, equity, inclusion, and antiracism values to the leadership and employees (“Confronting Racism in Health Care,†2021).
References
Confronting Racism in Health Care. (2021). Www.Commonwealthfund.Org. https://doi.org/10.26099/kn6g-aa68
Herman, J. (2022, April 26). Racism, Inequality, and Health Care for African Americans. The Century Foundation. https://tcf.org/content/report/racism-inequality-health-care-african-americans/
Jaiswal, J., & Halkitis, P. N. (2019). Towards a More Inclusive and Dynamic Understanding of Medical Mistrust Informed by Science. Behavioral Medicine, 45(2), 79–85. https://doi.org/10.1080/08964289.2019.1619511
Understanding and Ameliorating Medical Mistrust Among Black Americans. (2021). Commonwealth Fund. https://doi.org/10.26099/9grt-2b21
Rubric
NURS_6512_Week_3_Assignment_1_Rubric
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NURS_6512_Week_3_Assignment_1_Rubric |
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Criteria |
Ratings |
Pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome In 3–4 pages, address the following: An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned. |
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25 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Describe additional information you would need in order to further assess his or her weight-related health. |
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25 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Identify and describe any risks, and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion. |
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20 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information. |
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10 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight. |
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5 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – Paragraph Development and Organization: Paragraphs make clear points that support well-developed ideas, flow logically, and demonstrate continuity of ideas. Sentences are carefully focused–neither long and rambling nor short and lacking substance. A clear and comprehensive purpose statement and introduction are provided that delineate all required criteria. |
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5 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – English writing standards: Correct grammar, mechanics, and proper punctuation |
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5 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome Written Expression and Formatting – The paper follows correct APA format for title page, headings, font, spacing, margins, indentations, page numbers, running heads, parenthetical/in-text citations, and reference list. |
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5 pts |
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Total Points: 100 |
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