Nutrition Guidelines and Childhood Obesity

Document Type

Other

Abstract

Problem According to the CDC, 1 in 7 children aged 2 to 5 have obesity, if this trend continues, by 2050 more than half of today's children and adolescents are projected to have obesity by the age 35 (CDC, 2022). Individuals with obesity are at an increased risk for major health problems later in life such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hypertension, and myocardial infarction (Blüher, 2019). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention established the Early Childcare and Education (ECE) that suggests school aged children between 6-12 years should consume lean meats, varieties of whole fruits, whole grain breads, cereals and pastas as seen in the CDC's nutrition standards (CDC, 2021). Research suggests that parental modeling and feeding practices are an important contributor in children's dietary habits and weight status (Martínez-Lacoba et al., 2018). A large number of studies regarding childhood obesity have strongly supported the use of the Mediterranean Diet as an effective way to combat the disease, however low adherence deters its' users from the therapeutic benefits and positive health outcomes (Tambalis et al., 2018). Gaps in Research Lack of knowledge regarding the combined influences of healthy body weight status determinants such as genetic, environmental, socioeconomic, and sociocultural factors, and their interactions (Kosti et al., 2020). Potential recall biases from self reporting questionnaires that hinders the true compliance of Mediterranean Diet, and assessment of life style interventions such as physical activity (Tambalis et al., 2018). Purpose The purpose of this evidence-based project is to explore the following PICO: (P) Population - Childhood Obesity (I) Intervention - Mediterranean Diet (C) Control - Not specific diet (O) Outcomes - BMI Nursing Theory & Evidence-Based Practice Florence Nightingale's Environmental Theory describes how environmental factors can greatly influence a person's health and therefore needs to be incorporated into the patient's care plan. It can be reasoned that such factors include sufficient food and appropriate nutrition (Petiprin, 2019). According to the Environmental Theory, it would be a priority for the patient to receive a diet that promotes good health. The IOWA Model of Evidence-Based Practice defines a priority based on problem-focused and knowledge-focused triggers. A couple of these triggers include identification of a clinical problem and new research or other literature. Methods to help reduce the incidence of childhood obesity through nutrition is a common clinical problem. There have been a number of studies that suggest the Mediterranean diet as a potential option to improve BMI in children and adolescents. Many of these research studies have produced positive results. Because the Mediterranean diet has produced positive outcomes in regard to obesity in the pediatric population, according to the IOWA Model, promotion of the diet as a viable nutritional intervention can be adopted into evidence-based practice.

Publication Date

5-1-2024

Handle

http://hdl.handle.net/11122/15256

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