Say “Stop” to Childhood Obesity: Logic Model Research Paper

Introduction

Childhood obesity is a dangerous health condition that may lead to severe health complications. Hispanic children are affected by obesity more than children belonging to other ethnicities (Knowlden & Sharma, 2013). Therefore, our organization presents a logic model for managing the problem of childhood obesity among this population group. The program is expected to last for a year, and we aim to achieve a considerable decrease in obesity rates among the vulnerable population. To reach the objectives, collaboration with a similar agency will be arranged, organization and service utilization plans will be developed, and the responsibilities of each team member will be identified. As a result of the project, we expect to achieve a considerable decrease in the instances of the identified health issue.

Organization Description

The organization is called “Say “Stop” to Childhood Obesity.” The company is related to the priority population since it aims at reducing the rates of childhood obesity among Hispanic children. An agency with which we could cooperate to reach our goals is called “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity” (“Let’s fight childhood obesity,” n.d.). The collaboration with this agency will be performed in the form of an alliance. Such a choice is regarded as the most suitable one since both institutions will preserve their independence, but at the same time, they will be able to benefit from each other’s contributions.

“Say “Stop” to Childhood Obesity” currently employs twenty-five people. Our team is friendly, and the majority of the staff has degrees in healthcare, nursing, or social work. Our employees are devoted to what they are doing because each of us realizes the significance of adverse outcomes in case the health problem is not solved. What is unique about our organization is that all of our workers have either personal or family experience of childhood obesity, and they have much to contribute to the development of a successful program. We feel the issue from the inside, and we are eager to fight childhood obesity, starting from a local level and gradually reaching the national one.

The collaboration with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity” will help our agency to borrow some effective methods of fighting the identified health issue. Together, we will arrange some educational seminars for children and their parents. Also, it will be possible to organize quests and volunteering events. However, our organization will be primarily focused on Hispanic children since this group is our target population.

Description of Health Problem

The analyzed health problem is obesity in Hispanic children. This health concern is rather common at all levels in the US. At the national level, the prevalence of the disease is 17%, affecting almost 13 million children and adolescents (“Childhood obesity facts,” 2017). At the state level, it is noted that parent-reported weight and height of children cause the overestimated body mass index until the age of ten and underestimated in later ages (Long et al., 2016). Still, there is a high prevalence of the disease at the state level. At the local level, the problem differs depending on regions and environments. There is strong evidence of obesity being related to the target population. According to “Childhood obesity facts” (2017), the prevalence among Hispanic children is much higher than among non-Hispanic whites.

The causal theory of the identified health problem incorporates several aspects. Sahoo et al. (2015) outline the following major causes of childhood obesity: lifestyle choices, environmental factors, and cultural environment. However, there is also evidence that childhood obesity may be developed by increased portion sizes, excessive sugar intake, and refusal to engage in physical activity (Sahoo et al., 2015). If this health problem is not addressed, it may lead to serious adverse outcomes concerning social and emotional well-being, physical health, and self-esteem. The disease is also related to such co-morbid conditions as hepatic, pulmonary, cardiovascular, and metabolic disorders (Sahoo et al., 2015). Also, as Simmonds, Llewellyn, Owen, and Woolacott (2016) remark that childhood obesity may lead to adult obesity, which is a highly dangerous factor. The specific issues our organization will address are the education of children and their parents of healthy eating habits and physical training.

Mission, Goals, and Objectives

The mission of the program is to reduce the rates of childhood obesity among Hispanic children within a twelve-month period. The goal is decreasing childhood obesity among Hispanic children at least by 15% within a year. The collaboration with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity” as well as setting SMART goals will help us to attain this goal. The organization sets process and outcome objectives the achievement of which will demonstrate the success of our activity:

Plan objectives are to arrange the work of the organization in the most effective way, to establish a friendly atmosphere within the team as well as with the collaborative agency, and to encourage the vulnerable population group to participate in the program. These objectives correspond to the following SMART requirements:

• Specific: working on the decrease in childhood obesity rates;
• Measurable: we will set a specific number of participants as well as the time limit;
• Achievable: with the help of funding and collaboration with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity,” it is quite possible to achieve these objectives;
• Relevant: the health issue is relevant and needs the immediate consideration;
• Time-bound: we have two weeks for planning, but adjustments will be made in the course of work.

Outcome objectives are to decrease the rates of childhood obesity among Hispanic children by at least 15%, to encourage children and their parents to participate in similar programs, and to educate families on the importance of healthy eating preferences and physical activity. These objectives are also SMART:

• Specific: the program is focused on a certain population group and a specific health issue;
• Measurable: the rates of obesity among Hispanic children are expected to fall by 15%;
• Achievable: past experience and research indicate that it is possible to reach the expected results by effective interventions;
• Relevant: the health problem is rather acute;
• Time-bound: 12 months.

Organizational Plan

The organizational plan incorporates the central elements of the program, demonstrates how resources are obtained and allocated, and shows the relationship between these components. The most crucial resources and inputs necessary for the implementation of the project are the detailed plan, expense money, the team of employees, and equipment. The plan is closely associated with the SMART objectives and logic model, and it includes the following steps:

1. a meeting of team members at which the leader presents the project, and everyone discusses threats and opportunities;
2. allocation of resources;
3. choosing the most relevant interventions;
4. arranging the collaboration with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity”;
5. encouraging the vulnerable population to participate in the campaign;
6. inviting volunteers to join the program;
7. performing interventions and implementing projects;
8. collecting data at each phase.

The expense money is $100,000, and it will be allocated for preparing the educational materials, purchasing equipment for physical training and cooking projects, transporting, and buying supplies necessary to gather and analyze data. The team of employees is a crucial resource for the project. The organization has twenty staff members, each of whom specializes in some of the spheres related to the key problem. Thus, there are dieticians, therapists, physical health instructors, nurses, psychologists, and social workers. Each of these employees will take turns in playing a significant role in some of the program’s phases. The equipment needed includes laptops, a printer, whiteboards, colored paper and crayons, physical training gear, and medical appliances to measure weight, height, blood, and sugar of the children participating in the campaign. Detailed milestones and responsibilities are described in a table in the logic model section.

Service Utilization Plan

This plan includes the description of the activities involved in the program. Three interventions and two mutual projects with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity” are included in the service utilization plan. The first intervention is concentrated on educating children and parents about healthy eating habits. The reason for choosing this approach is that most frequently, unhealthy food choices become the cause of childhood obesity. Therefore, it is crucial to explain why children prone to excessive weight should eat a balanced diet. The second intervention is focused on encouraging physical activity and reducing sedentary lifestyle choices. The rationale for choosing this intervention is concerned with the fact that low physical activity is another common cause of obesity. The third intervention is the longest, and it will take part simultaneously with other projects. It is an educational program in which the organizational leader will regularly present children and their parents with materials to enrich their knowledge of obesity risks and ways of reducing them.

Apart from the interventions, the service utilization plan also includes two projects that will be carried out in collaboration with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity.” The first project is concerned with cooking. In a fun and entertaining atmosphere, children will be taught about preparing healthy food and instructed about the nutritional value of different products. The second project is focused on volunteer work. Both organizations will invite volunteers to help the participants of the project on a regular basis. The proposed plan is culturally sensitive and appropriate. It aims at uniting the resources and stakeholders to reach the final goal and reduce the level of obesity among Hispanic children. The resources are sufficient to accomplish all project activities. However, during the program, volunteers will be engaged, and they will try to raise additional funds to support the campaign. By accumulating resources and people’s endeavors, it will be possible to reach the best outcomes of the program.

Logic Model

The logic model for the program includes inputs, activities, and outputs that are presented in the following chart:

The major inputs are the funds appointed for the program, the people who will work on the attainment of the objectives, the collaboration agency, and the time given for the completion of the program. The activities involve interventions and mutual projects with “Choices: Fighting Childhood Obesity.” The outputs consist of the decreased obesity level among Hispanic children and the increased interest of the public as well as the enhanced knowledge of children and their parents. The steps of the logic model are reflected in the table:

Conclusion

The paper presents an overview of the organization, its mission and goals, and the plan of implementing interventions. The logic model provides a detailed explanation of the steps and processes included in the program of “Say “Stop” to Childhood Obesity.” With the help of SMART objectives, it is expected to reach the desired goals within the set period of 12 months. A variety of interventions and projects included in the campaign will allow the organization to conclude which of the methods are the most effective. The project is expected to help decrease the rates of childhood obesity among Hispanic children and increase the awareness of complications and possible ways of managing this critical health issue.

References

Childhood obesity facts. (2017). Web.

Cunningham, S. A., Kramer, M. R., & Narayan, K. M. V. (2014). Incidence of childhood obesity in the United States. The New England Journal of Medicine, 370(5), 403-411.

Knowlden, A. P., & Sharma, M. (2013). Systematic review of school-based obesity interventions targeting African American and Hispanic children. Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved, 24(3), 1194-1214.

Let’s fight childhood obesity. (n.d.). Web.

Long, M. W., Ward, Z. J., Resch, S. C., Cradock, A. L., Wang, Y. C., Giles, C. M., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2016). State-level estimates of childhood obesity prevalence in the United States corrected for report bias. International Journal of Obesity, 40(10), 1523-1528.

Sahoo, K., Sahoo, B., Choudhury, A. K., Sofi, N, Y., Kumar, R., & Bhadoria, A. S. (2015). Childhood obesity: Causes and consequences. Journal of Family Medicine and Primary Care, 4(2), 187-192.

Simmonds, M., Llewellyn, A., Owen, C. G., & Woolacott, N. (2016). Predicting adult obesity from childhood obesity: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Obesity Reviews, 17(2), 95-107.