Research Problem/Purpose
Obesity is one of the most common health concerns in the modern-day medical care era. It is an even greater concern among children than adults because its rate goes up to 22 % and is, therefore, a related cause of other health problems such as asthma. A lot of research ink has been invested in the study of the causes of obesity, especially among children. All these researches focus their attention on the nutritional, age and psychological aspects of the problem. Little attention has been given to the home environment of a child.
The investigator places the study problem in the context of the existing knowledge by acknowledging the two major studies that have been conducted on the effect of the home environment. He reviews a study that focused on the nine-fold increase in obesity among neglected children and a further two and threefold increase in the number of obese children living in dilapidated conditions.
The article emphasizes the role of social-economic factors in the continued increase of obesity among children. As a matter of fact, obesity is neither an illness nor a disease. It is a preventable condition that results in an abnormal body mass index. This research provides a solution to obesity as a nursing concern by offering recommendations and solutions that will give the practitioners a better understanding of the obesity problem.
The main objective of the research is to identify, investigate and explain the connection between the home environment and socio-economic factors as well as their contribution to the increase of obesity among children.
Review of the Literature
The literature review of the research evaluates three main concepts as proposed by the researchers in each concept. The first is the concept of living conditions and the relationship between such conditions and the increase in obesity. The second concept discusses the hypothesis that a self-stimulatory behavior among children that is caused by the deprivation of certain environmental basics is the cause of overeating among children and a subsequent cause of obesity. The third concept concerns the association.
The majority of the works reviewed by the investigators are quite old. This would be because obesity became a national and international concern in the mid and early 80s and hence received a lot of research attention being an emerging and new issue at the time.
Theoretical Framework
The theoretical concepts are defined clearly and discussed in relation to adiposity and obesity in children. The research defines obesity and the statistical evaluation of this issue across parameters, such as age, sex, race, and orientation. It goes further to draw demographic information from other sources on the educational, marital and income-related information of the participants of the study to give a better view of the social-economic environment.
The research does not have a theoretical framework, which would be clearly defined. However, it would be appropriate to suggest a theoretical framework that obesity is not just a health condition, but a result and consequence of social inadequacy.
Variables/Hypotheses/Questions/Assumptions
The research engaged several variables to increase the accuracy and reliability of the research. The major independent variable was age because all the children who took part in the research were between several months to 8 years old. Other dependent variables include the marital status of their parents, the levels of income of their families as well as the occupation of their parents. The families’ maternal income due to the diversity in amounts and figures was to be categorized into three main categories of high, medium and low-income families. The occupation was based on whether it was a full family or not.
Methodology
The deductive reasoning in the study was based on a statement that “If a child is fed when he is hungry, played with when he needs attention, and encouraged to be active when he is restless, he is not likely to grow up inhibited and passive or overstuffed and helpless, unable to control his eating because every discomfort is misinterpreted as a need to eat” (Strauss, 1999, pp15).
This was to be supported by a purposive cohort study that involved a national longitudinal survey of a weighted total sample of 2913 children of normal weights between the ages of several months to 8 years. These children are followed up over a period of 6 years. During this period, the role of factors, such as the child’s race, guardian marital status, maternal education as well as family income, were documented alongside other basic home environment measures and factors that would be considered to influence the development of obesity of the children.
The primary data on the participant’s weights were obtained by measuring them and weighing them individually using portable devices. A Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment Short Form (HOME-SF) was also designed and administered to the individual interviewees on a timely basis to record and document the progress changes in the participant’s social-economic status and parental ability.
The measurement tools, however, presented reliability problems especially in the Home Observation for Measurement of the Environment-Short Forms that were filled on a periodic basis. They presented opportunities for falsification of information, especially data relating to the economic status of the guardians or parents. The research also failed to point out the apparent ethical issues that it had addressed in the collection of the data such as the personal nature of the information gathered form the participants as well as the members of their family. It also did not manage to consider obtaining the relevant authorization to conduct the research and collect the information relevant to the research.
What type of design (quantitative, qualitative and type) was used in this study?
The research adopted a qualitative as well as a quantitative approach in arriving at the results and conclusions of the study. The qualitative aspect relates to the information gathered from databases, such as the Center for Disease Control on the parental averages in weights and heights. The quantitative aspect of the study involved the actual gathering of the relevant information by measuring weighting and questioning the participants of the study.
Data Analysis
Due to the variance in the amount of information that was collected from the various parameters, there was a need to strike a compromise on the amount to be considered. A weighted allowed the data to be adjusted for periods of non-response and periods of overwhelming response. The differences in the various proportions were further analyzed based on the X2 factor on a back weighted basis
The results are reviewed based on three main subheadings. The demographic aspect and the home cognitive aspects of the study formed the greatest part of the discussion pointing out the various social economic factors that were present in the various home environments of the participants and going further to evaluate the individual roles of these factors. The risk factors of child obesity were also observed and discussed to provide the benefits and shortcomings of the various home environments and the prevalence of these risk factors in these environments.
The research arrives at a conclusion that maternal obesity is the best predictor of childhood obesity followed by the household income.
Summary/Conclusions, Implications & Recommendations
As a matter of fact, the research was conducted on a general population. It has made a good attempt at addressing the limitations in scope and sample size that was encountered by other researchers in the same field.
It is also necessary to mention that the study was not challenge free. It is clear that the margin of error in the statistics was significant since the length of period was quite long. This is affected by the information lapses within the periods when no data were recorded. A weighted average approach to data analysis does not also reflect the true position of the data, but only an average of the extremities. This research is a great contribution to the nursing database and offers another approach to the problem of obesity. It offers a platform for development of home based solutions to the problem of obesity. A home based solution to the obesity problem is a long-term measure towards controlling the number of children who are likely to be obese.
Reference
Strauss, R., & Knight, J. (1999). Influence of the Home Environment on the Development of Obesity in Children. Pediatrics, 103(6), E85. Web.