Mini Research Report- Childhood Obesity

Mini Research Report- Childhood Obesity

Definition of Problem/Issue

The chosen health topic of interest is childhood obesity. Childhood obesity is a chronic condition characterized by the child gaining a lot of body fat and increasing their overall body weight.

My Target Audience

My Health Communication project focused on addressing childhood obesity, targeting both the professional and general public as the main audience. This means that the project will aim to inform parents, teachers, child caregivers, primary care providers, social workers, food and beverage manufacturers, dieticians, policymakers, and children above the age of 10 years. These population groups are the main target audience as I consider them critical in managing and preventing childhood obesity.

What Needs to Change and Improve

There are several changes and improvements that need to be made in the efforts employed towards addressing childhood obesity. Firstly, current unhealthy eating habits, fast foods, and high-sugar drinks are the leading risk factors for childhood obesity (Jia et al., 2019). Changes need to be made in how foods and beverages are manufactured and how adverts promoting eating habits targeted towards children are designed. Secondly, changes and improvements need to be made to the levels of physical activity children have access to. A majority of children are becoming too sedentary as they use smartphones and gaming technologies. Sedentary lifestyles combined with poor dietary factors, including eating behaviors and types of foods, are contributing to the childhood obesity pandemic (Verduci et al., 2021). Changes need to be made in the design of technologies in a way such technologies, including gaming technology, promote more regular physical activity. The third action that needs to be improved is education and awareness of childhood obesity. The access to clear and simple information on childhood obesity, contributing factors, and preventative factors needs to be improved across the general population.

Necessity of the Changes

These changes are necessary as childhood obesity has seen fast-growing prevalence rates with significant mental and physical health impacts. It is a notable risk factor for multiple chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular diseases, cancer, type 2 diabetes during adulthood, and higher childhood mortality rates (Bendor et al., 2020). Changes need to be made to the foods sold or fed to children to include nutritious foods and to reduce the consumption of high-sugar, high-calorie fast food and beverages. Such changes in eating, dietary habits, and lifestyle changes from sedentary to physically active can help improve childhood weight and general health outcomes. Additionally, improving the level of education and awareness on childhood obesity is associated with sustainable healthy lifestyle changes, including dietary habits and physical activity, and better childhood weight and health outcomes (Jester et al., 2018). Overall, these changes are necessary to help prevent and manage childhood obesity, help avoid the complications and costs associated with the conditions, and improve the quality of life outcomes for children.

Communication Methods for Target Audience for Change

Communication methods will be tailored to meet the specific needs of each target audience group. For parents, teachers, social workers, policymakers, and healthcare professionals, I will utilize various types of educational materials, including pamphlets, brochures, and social media platforms. The project will also include animated TV programs and adverts for children and adults for health promotion and awareness of childhood obesity. The project will also seek to mobilize various social and professional advocacy groups to push for state policies that restrict fast-food marketing to children.

Conclusion

In conclusion, childhood obesity is a health issue of concern. It will require a multisectoral approach to help prevent and manage its development, associated health complications, and social and economic effects. This will require making necessary changes in childhood lifestyles and employing various communication methods to promote awareness and change.

References

Bendor, C. D., Bardugo, A., Pinhas-Hamiel, O., Afek, A., & Twig, G. (2020). Cardiovascular morbidity, diabetes, and cancer risk among children and adolescents with severe obesity. Cardiovascular Diabetology, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12933-020-01052-1

Jester, A., Kreider, K. E., Ochberg, R., & Meek, J. (2018). Effectiveness of implementing initial education strategies to promote awareness and healthy habits in childhood obesity: A Quality Improvement Project. Journal of Pediatric Health Care, 32(2), 157–162. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pedhc.2017.09.006

Jia, P., Luo, M., Li, Y., Zheng, J., Xiao, Q., & Luo, J. (2019). Fast‐food restaurant, unhealthy eating, and childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. Obesity Reviews, 22(S1). https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.12944

Verduci, E., Bronsky, J., Embleton, N., Gerasimidis, K., Indrio, F., Köglmeier, J., de Koning, B., Lapillonne, A., Moltu, S. J., Norsa, L., & Domellöf, M. (2021). Role of dietary factors, food habits, and lifestyle in childhood obesity development: A position paper from the European Society for Paediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Committee on Nutrition. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology & Nutrition, 72(5), 769–783. https://doi.org/10.1097/mpg.0000000000003075

ORDER A PLAGIARISM-FREE PAPER HERE

We’ll write everything from scratch

Submit in APA format (please review the APA guidelines folder in the course content)

• Choose a health topic of your interest

Mini Research Report- Childhood Obesity

• Define the problem/issue

• Define/describe your target audience

• What needs to change or improve?

• Why is the change necessary? (support with references)

• What methods will you use to communicate the change needed for your target audience? (Eg. Education material, social media, focus group, infographic, campaign, etc.)