Implementation of Health Education to Combat Childhood Obesity
Presented by Melisa Morrow
Alarming StatisticsO obesity among children age 6 to 11
has nearly tripled from 1980 to 2004O one-third of youth from age 2 to 19
are overweightO among 2-5 year olds, 27% are
overweight or obese
Which Children are at Risk?
O Factors to consider• Level of education of parents• Socio-economic status of family• Ethnic minorities (ie African American
& Latino)• Immigration/Acculturation
Why Start Young?O ImpressionableO Eating becomes pleasurableO Lifestyle habits are still being
establishedO “Young children are more likely than older
children to be influenced by adults, and eating and activity habits acquired early can track into adulthood” (Reynolds et al., 2013, p. 8)
O Obesity as early as preschool can continue into adult life
Impact of Childhood Obesity
O Lack of nourishment can impede proper development
O Mental and social repercussionsO Health risks later in life
O HypertensionO Coronary heart diseaseO Type 2 diabetesO OsteoporosisO DyslipidemiaO StrokeO Sleep ApneaO Some cancersO Gall bladder diseaseO Ect
Implications for U.S. Health Care
O “Obesity is a key driver of the health care system because it greatly increases the risk for acquiring many high-cost diseases.”• Treatment• Providing care
O “We recognize that working with children-through schools and sports programs-is where obesity prevention needs to begin.”
(Kovner & Knickman, 2011, p. 359)
SolutionsO Home:
O Education for parents/caregivers• Healthy choices• Portion sizes• Modeling
SolutionsO School:
• Nutrition education• Strategies aimed at appealing to
children• Encourage physical activity• Involve parents/caregivers
SolutionsO Community
• Enlist local sports teams• Public service• Community events
Let’s Move!
ConclusionO Obesity in childhood is common and
becoming more prevalentO Obesity in childhood can contribute
to a host of diseases and health conditions in adulthood
O Caring for obese patients puts a strain on the health care system
O Obesity is preventable and there are ways to combat the trend
Questions?
ReferencesO Baskale, H., & Bahar, Z. (2011). Outcomes of nutrition knowledge and healthy food choices in O 5-to 6-year-old children who received a nutrition intervention based on Piaget’s theory. Journal for
Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 16, 263-279. doi 10.1111/j.1744-6155.2011.00300.xO Erinosho, T., Berrigan, D., Thompson, F., Moser, R., Nebeling, L., & Yaroch, A. (2012). Dietary O intakes of preschool-aged children in relation to caregivers’ race/ethnicity, acculturation, and demographic
characteristics: Results from the 2007 California Health Interview Survey. Matern Child Health J, 16, 1844-1853. doi: 10.1007/s10995-011-0931-5
O Fairclough, S., Hackett, A., Davies, I., Gobbi, R., Mackintosh, K., Warburton, G.,…Stratton, G. O (2013). Promoting healthy weight in primary school children through physical activity and nutrition
education: A pragmatic evaluation of the CHANGE! Randomized intervention study. BMC Public Health, 13(626), 1-14. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-13-626
O Ilmonen, J., Isolauri, E., & Laitinen, K. (2012). Nutrition education and counselling practices in O mother and child health clinics: study amongst nurses. Journal of Clinical Nursing, 21, O 2985-2994. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04232.x O Irwin, C., Irwin, R., Miller, M., Somes, G., & Richey, P. (2010). Get fit with the Grizzlies: A O community-school-home initiative to fight childhood obesity. Journal of School Health, 80(7), 333-339. O Maher, E., Li, G., Carter, L., & Johnson, D. (2007). Preschool child care participation and O obesity at the start of kindergarten. Pediatrics: Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 322-
330. doi: 10.1542/peds.2007-2233O Reed, Monique. (2013). Childhood obesity policy: Implications for African American girls and a O nursing ecological model. Nursing Science Quarterly, 26(1), 86-95. doi: 10.1177/0894318412466748O Reynolds, M., Cotwright, C., Polhamus, B., Gertel-Rosenberg, A., & Chang, D. (2013). Obesity O prevention in the early care and education setting: Successful initiatives across a spectrum of opportunities.
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 8-18. O Small, L., Bonds-McClain, D., Vaighn, L., Melnyk, B., Gannon, A., & Thompson, S. (2012). A O parent-directed portion education intervention for young children: Be beary healthy. Journal for Specialists in
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