Nursing-PICOT Question

PICOT: Do children who are raised by obese (P) adoptive parents (I) in comparison to children who do not have obese adoptive parents (C) have an increased risk of obesity (O) between the ages of 3 and 18 (T)?

I find this research interesting because, in the last year (2020), the rate of obesity among children increased during the COVID-19 lockdown. This was despite some children not having obese parents while others had adoptive parents. While obese parents are known to have a high likelihood of obese children, it would be interesting to know whether adoptive parents who are obese also tend to have or not have children who are obese (Stunkard, 2020).

I intend to do systemic research on different studies that have looked into the genetics of obesity. This research is important because the results will add to the body of knowledge on whether or not obesity is dependent on genetics or other factors outside of a person’s genes. I would also like to find out whether nurture plays a more significant role in determining one’s propensity to be obese as opposed to nature (Hamad, 2021).

The result of this research will also inform social workers when making decisions on the adoptive parents. Obesity is one of the social factors that social workers put into consideration when determining if an individual would be an ideal candidate as an adoptive parents. For one to be an adoptive parent, a home study is conducted where the social worker reviews everything, including security, health, living conditions, and family background, as well as safety issues. The home study determines whether a family fits the expectations to provide a child with permanency. Obesity becomes an issue when the potential parent is obese and thus poses a risk to the child’s stability. Hence, this study will inform on whether using obesity as one of the criteria for adoption is valid or not.