Introduction
According to a report by Basavanthappa (2007), obesity is currently one of the major health problems associated with serious health conditions such as cardiac problems, osteoarthritis, diabetes, and even cancer. The number of African American adolescents who are suffering from obesity has been on the rise over the past decade. This is a worrying trend not only for the families of the affected children but also for the nation. To the families, there is the risk of losing a loved one through dangerous diseases associated with obesity. Sometimes the risk may come in the form of huge costs of hospital bills as they struggle to get the best medical care for their family members (Alcena, 2013). On the other hand, the government will be forced to spend a lot of money to address the cost of hiring more doctors and purchasing equipment at various hospitals within the country. This means that this is not a battle meant only for the affected individuals and their family members. It is a battle that should involve everyone. The best way of doing this is to empower the affected group so that they can take a lead in this fight. In this study, the researcher will be looking at the benefits of educational presentation as a way of increasing knowledge of nutrition and the benefits of exercise among obese African American teenagers.
Literature Review
Researchers have been able to relate obesity to a series of health problems claiming many lives in the United States today (Ross, Hudson, Stotz & Lam, 2015). It is worrying that the population of African American teenagers suffering from obesity is on the rise. It is important to find a way of changing this trend. According to Kouvelioti, Vagenas, and Langley (2014), one of the best ways of doing this is to empower the affected group so that they can take personal initiatives to address the problem. According to Nola Pender’s Theory, people tend to behave based on their individual experiences. As shown in the figure below, individual experiences define his or her behavior which in turn defines the outcome of what one does.
To motivate an individual to act in a given manner, this theory suggests that personal experiences should be modified (Harris & Graham, 2007). In this case, the experiences of the affected teenagers will be modified through education.
Framework
When conducting research, it is always important to define the framework that will be used (French, 2002). In this study, the researcher will use both a conceptual and theoretical framework to give the report a strong foundation. As mentioned above, Nola Pender Theory will be used in developing the basis of the research.
Hypothesis
Developing a hypothesis helps in giving predictions of a given outcome of a study. In this research, the hypothesis was based on the research question below.
Is an educational presentation an effective method of increasing knowledge of nutrition and the benefits of exercising among African American adolescents ages 14 to 16?
Based on the above question, the following hypothesis was developed.
H1. The educational presentation is an effective method of increasing knowledge of nutrition and the benefits of exercising among African American adolescents ages 14 to 16.
To confirm the above hypothesis, it will be necessary to collect and analyze data from the sampled participants.
Variables
The independent variables in this study are increased knowledge of nutrition through an educational presentation and exercising. The dependent variable is obesity. It is believed that knowledge about obesity and regular exercise (independent variables) have a direct impact on obesity (dependent variable).
Assumptions
The main assumption in this study is that factors other than knowledge of nutrition and regular exercise play an insignificant role in the fight against obesity. It is also assumed that after the educational process, the participants will have perfect knowledge about nutrition and exercise, and how the two are related to obesity.
Methods and Procedures
Design
In this study, the researcher will use a qualitative research design. Their researcher seeks to determine the benefits of increased knowledge and exercise in the fight against obesity. To do this, it will be necessary to have descriptive data. Although quantitative data may be relevant in some sections of the research, the most important aspect of the study requires a qualitative research design.
Setting and sample
The setting of this study has been selected to be in two different places in PD County, MD. The first sample will be taken from the church while the second sample will be taken from one of the schools in this region. In each of the two institutions, 15 adolescents will be randomly sampled to participate in this study. Statistical data will be used to identify the adolescents, who are obese,
Data collection plan
The researcher will collect data from the sampled participants through the use of a questionnaire. Each of the participants will be given a questionnaire with a list of questions to be answered. They will be given a maximum of one hour to respond to the questions before the filled questionnaires can be collected. Most of the questions will be open-ended to allow the participants to give their personal opinion on the issues raised.
Ethical consideration
When conducting research, it is important to take into consideration ethical issues that may affect the participants or the quality of data. The researcher will seek permission from the relevant authorities mentioned above before starting to sample the students. The identity of the participants will also remain concealed to protect them from any form of intimidation. The researcher will remain unbiased to enhance the quality of data.
Data analysis
The analysis of the collected data will take the descriptive form. This means that the researcher will respond to the research questions by describing the response given by the participants other than using statistical figures. Identifying similarities and variations of the responses will be critical at this stage. The aim will be to identify and justify popular opinion on this issue. It is important to note that statistical data will be necessary when calculating the BMI of the participants to identify those that can be classified as obese.
Methodological limitations
The participants in this study will be limited to adolescents. This means that anyone who does not belong to this category will not participate. They must also be African Americans. The main limitation will be time. The researcher will strictly collect data from 8 o’clock to 10 o’clock.
Communicating the findings
The findings will be communicated through a report. After gathering and analyzing primary and secondary data, the researcher will develop a report that specifically addressed the question mentioned above.
References
Alcena, V. (2013). African Americans and medical diseases: An American health care crisis that is crying for help and actions. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: RoseDog Books.
Basavanthappa, B. T. (2007). Nursing theories. New Delhi: Jaypee Brothers.
Burns, N., & Groves, S.K. (2008). The Practice of Nursing Research Appraisal, Synthesis, and Generation of Evidence. London, UK: Saunders.
French, P. (2002). What is the evidence on evidence- base nursing: An epistemology concern. Journal of advance nursing, 37(3), 250-257.
Harris, Y. R., & Graham, J. A. (2007). The African American child: Development and challenges. New York: Springer.
Kouvelioti, R., Vagenas, G., & Langley, S. (2014). Effects of exercise and diet on weight loss maintenance in overweight and obese adults: a systematic review. The Journal of sports medicine and physical fitness, 54(4), 456-474.
Ross, R., Hudson, R., Stotz, P. J., & Lam, M. (2015). Effects of exercise amount and intensity on abdominal obesity and glucose tolerance in obese adults: a randomized trial. Annals of internal medicine, 162(5), 325-334.