- Discuss the health concern you studied in your fieldwork. (Obesity). Include the
following:
� Background in relation to Healthy People 2020 (2010) and local public health data that
characterizes Obesity
� Data from national, state, and/or local level related to Adult Obesity LA California - Describe the population of interest(Adult) affected by the health concern(obesity) you
studied in your fieldwork. In your description, include each of the following components:
� Gender
� Age
� Demographics including socioeconomic status and educational level
a. Describe how this health concern (Obesity) is linked to a health inequity for the
population of interest.(Adult).
b. Use data to support your conclusion.
C. Diagnosis - Discuss aspects of adult obesity not being addressed despite the efforts of the partners
involved.
D. Outcomes Identification - Describe the ultimate outcome(s) or goal(s) for improvement related to Adult Obesity
E. Planning - Recommend nursing actions to improve Adult Obesity.
Note: Use the Minnesota intervention wheel as an aid in selecting the broad areas for
nursing action. - Explain how you and other nurses might work with the community and the population
of interest to improve Adult obesity.
Note: Select primary and secondary prevention activities only. - Discuss potential public and private partnerships that could be formed to implement
your recommendations. - Discuss the overall objective(s) for implementing these activities.
- Create a timelines for expected outcomes.
F. Evaluation - Explain how you would evaluate whether the efforts to improve the adult obesity
concern were effective.
- Include in your explanation the tools you might use to do this evaluation.
G. Conclusion
- Reflect on how your perspective of the community’s health and the national, state, and
local efforts toward a healthier population has changed as a result of your fieldwork.
Nursing Field Project
Assessment
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Obesity has continually become rampant in the United States. This disease affects both
adults and children. In Los Angeles County, California, obesity has continually affected adults
and the number of the obese adults has been increasing every year (Office of Health Assessment
and Epidemiology 1) . According to statistics, if the trajectory of the number of cases of obese
adults continues to increase, then the future of the American population is at jeopardy. According
to estimates, the number of cases of the obese adults will double by the year 2020. This number
will continue to increase and double again by the year 2030 (Akers 98).
Many studies have been conducted in the L.A, California with regard to obesity and
related diseases. These studies suggest that if the current trends were not reversed, approximately
46% of the population in L.A, California will become obese. This is also the fore sight from the
disease control centers in L.A, California. Between 1997 and 2011, the number of obese adults in
L.A increased from 13.6 to 23.6 percent. The related diseases are also serious and include
diabetes, cancer and heart diseases. All these diseases are life threatening (Akers 98).
The number of healthy people in Los Angeles and other parts of the United States is
continually decreasing in contrast to a couple of decades back. The reason is that obesity is
mostly associated with the lifestyles adopted by the individuals currently including poor feeding
habits and lack of physical exercise. The lack of physical exercise results from technological
advancements that have discouraged individuals from engaging in outdoor activities. Hence, it is
upon an individual to choose what is beneficial to him or her and not to blame obesity on
advancements in technology.
In L.A, in the state of California, there is a great difference in the severity of adult obesity
depending on factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status and the level of education. In the
case of gender, the instances of obese adults among the females are higher with a large margin as
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compared to those of their male counter parts. In 2011, the percentage of obese adult males was
23.0 percent compared to obese adult females that were 24.2 percent (Los Angeles County
Department of Public Health, Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology 1). This is mostly
because the number of the physically active adult females, in L.A, California is very insignificant
as compared to those of the male. The males occasionally engage in outdoor games such as
baseball and this goes a long way in the prevention of obesity. In contrast, the one form of
physical activity the women engage in is mostly walking (Menzel and Aluisio 56).
The instances of obesity among the adults in L.A, California also vary with race. Obesity
is rampant among the Latino at 31.6 percent followed by African Americans at 31.0 percent as of
- Whites come third at 18 percent and the last is Asian/Pacific Islanders at 8.9 percent (Los
Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of Health Assessment and Epidemiology
2). The adult African Americans engage in poor feeding habits because they continually ingest
foods containing high levels of cholesterol, which are the leading cause of obesity among adults.
Considering the fact that the adults in L.A, California hardly engage in any physical activity,
feeding poorly will, consequently, plunge them into severe obesity.
The Asians in L.A have registered the lowest levels of obesity. Demographics such as
socioeconomic status and the level of education are also a determinant of obesity. Individuals
with a good socioeconomic status most of the time maintain good health. This is because these
individuals have a certain picture of affluence to portray and hence cases of obesity occur on a
higher level. On the other hand, educated individuals are well aware of the health risks
associated with obesity such as diabetes, cancer and heart diseases. Hence, these educated
individuals do what it takes to avoid obesity so that they can lead healthy lives. Uneducated
individuals act on impulse and most of the choices and decisions they make are not informed.
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Diagnosis
The major issue that undermines the control of obesity among adults obesity does not lie
in engaging adults in physical activity. The trajectory of physical activity among human beings
reduces as the time passes by. The older the individual, the less active he or she gets. Normal
human beings reach the optimum physical fitness in the early twenties and on reaching thirty
years in age, the physical fitness decreases (Kelly 45).
Another issue is that the level of diagnosis is less because not many people visit health
institutions until they are sick. As such, obese cases are noticed when people seek medication for
other health related issues.
Outcomes identification
Obese individuals find it very difficult to engage in any form of physical activity. Simple
activities such as taking a walk are very tasking and this makes it all the more difficult for the
adult individuals in L.A, California, to overcome obesity. Feeding right for obese individuals is a
slow solution to overcoming obesity, and may lead to health issues if not combined with physical
activity to burn the excess fats (Food and beverages: strategies to recoup the health costs of
excessive sugar consumption : joint informational hearing 56). Advancements in technology
have resulted in the development of medical procedures such as liposuction to remove the excess
fat deposits in the body. Hence, this goes a long way in assisting the physically incapable adult
individuals. Other procedures have been developed to reduce the fat deposits in the veins and
major arteries that can also be helpful in reducing instances of heart related diseases.
Planning
Nursing actions are remarkably essential in improving the cases of adult obesity. Using
the Minnesota Intervention Wheel, I recommend several interventions that will be helpful in
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controlling adult obesity. First, I recommend health teaching. This works by informing the
community in L.A, California to understand the importance of being healthy and keep obesity
away. I also recommend community organizing as a nursing action that will help bring the
community together with the intent of helping the obese people from the condition, may be
through exercises and encouragement to live healthy lives. I also advocate for screening so that
members of the community can get screening for obesity and take proper eary interventions to
alleviate the condition. Social marketing is also essential whereby gym and aerobic exercises can
be marketed for people to understand their importance in controlling obesity. Surveillance,
referral and follow-up are also nursing actions that can improve obesity by referring those
affected to the relevant health institutions and following them up to ensure that they are doing
well.
Other nurses and I will work with the community to improve adult obesity by engaging the obese
adults in programs that will aid in curbing obesity (California 34). In these programs, we will
assist the adults in improving their feeding habits through encouraging of the consumption of
vegetables and fruits and reducing the consumption of energy dense foods. We will also
encourage the obese adults to indulge in physical activity, at the expense of excessive television
watching.
Public and private partnerships are required to fulfil those recommendations. Potential
public and private partnerships will include government and private sector partnerships in the
creation of body exercise utilities, such as the gym where people can exercise. Food and nutrition
experts can collaborate with health practitioners to offer free sensitization programs on healthy
diet and eating meant for the general public in L.A. Another partnership that can be introduced is
by organizing constant adult games that will include education on the advantages of keeping the
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body fit. These partnerships will assist the obese adults to come together and put effort to combat
this lifestyle disease. These partnerships will greatly assist in the conduction of physical
activities because the morale and psyche of those affected will be boosted.
The major objective of these partnerships will be to create awareness on obesity and
assist the adult obese members to overcome obesity in the shortest time possible, to avoid deaths
and generally help people lead healthy lives.
The expected timeline for the expected outcomes will be five months
Evaluation
We will do evaluations by conducting a monthly basis using the BMI test. The BMI level
of an obese individual will be taken and their progress recorded. We will also evaluate the efforts
by observing specific individuals from the target population through the program to ascertain
whether they are responding according to the desired results. We will also be looking at how fast
or slow the participants are responding, to respond appropriately to the problems that arise. The
conduction of a survey every year in the household of individuals will assist in the monitoring of
the progress geared towards combating obesity. We will do the evaluation using follow-ups,
surveys, observations and the BMI test.
Conclusion
Although obesity is rampant in L.A, California, there is still hope for the existence of a
community free from obesity. The key is leading by example is the best strategy where adults in
L.A, California can set an example for the children to lead healthy lives. To permanently
eradicate obesity, good eating habits must be instilled among the children at a tender age.
Physical activities must also be encouraged on a daily basis. I ensured that people with obese and
healthy ones consider healthy eating and exercises as some of the basic aspects to reduce obesity.
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Together with the department of health in L.A, we started a sensitization network that seeks to
inform people of the interventions they should take to eradicate obesity with a view of extending
it to the state level and the national level.
Works cited
Akers, Charlene. Obesity. San Diego: Lucent Books, 2000. Print.
California, Davis. Obesity management in the primary care practice: bench to bedside,
September 12, 1998, Sacramento, California. Davis, Calif.: University of California,
Davis, 1998. Print.
Food and beverages: strategies to recoup the health costs of excessive sugar consumption: joint
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informational hearing. Sacramento, CA: Senate Publications & Flags, 2010. Print.
Guthman, Julie. Weighing in: obesity, food justice, and the limits of capitalism. Berkeley:
University of California Press, 2011. Print.
Kelly, Evelyn B. Obesity. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2006. Print.
Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Office of Health Assessment and
Epidemiology, Trends in Obesity: Adult Obesity Continues to Rise, September 2012.