The introduction of the child physical activities has contributed to the growing fights against childhood obesity. Several contributors to the rising cases of obesity include but are not limited to poor diet, and increased sedentariness. Schools have come up with diverse ways of fighting and preventing obesity among the children. The research by Sharon and Lorraine sought to find ways by which school nurses help in fighting obesity among the children in school. The measure of the physical activity (PA) against the body mass index (BMI) and analyzing the findings is one of the means of the research used in determining effective ways to fight obesity (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015).
The United States report an average of 16.9% of the obesity rate in children between 2-19 years. The rate is relatively higher in the African-American and Hispanic children compared to the Caucasian children. The National Association of School Nurses (NASN) is of the stand that every school nurse has adequate knowledge to fight and to prevent the overweight challenge in the children (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015). The study of the nurse’s role in fighting the obesity in the children is limited to their attitudes and general knowledge concerning the overweight challenge. The study by Sharon and Lorraine focused on two elementary schools, two nursing schools and local public health departments and their role in promoting anti-obesity campaign among the children.
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The study was based on research avenues including PubMed, Global health, Scopus and ERIC among others. The research revealed various preventive ways of interventions such as physical activities, nutrition and weight-related intervention strategies (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015). The interventions were particularly effective when aimed towards reducing sedentary tendency among the children. Saffron and colleagues focused on behavioural from 17 reviews. They focused on the school-based strategies of preventing obesity. Kriemler et al., on the other hand, focused their research on the school-based PA fitness intervention strategies among the children as a sure way f fighting obesity. These researches, as Sharon and Lorraine found were limited in finding the effective role of school nurses in the fight against overweight and obesity in children.
Further studies and research that were published between 2013 and 2017 involved the ways by which the school nurses could help in fighting obesity cases in the children and the adolescents. The particular research by Kubik, Story, & Davey (2007) recommended the change in intervention policy and the nurse self-efficacy to reduce the rising cases o increased obesity among the school going children.
The agency Institutional review Board approved the method of this study with its design for the protection of the human subjects. The research included two groups for comparison purposes and evaluation. The project partners for this research included AMC in conjunction with the PH departments and two elementary schools (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015). The variables concerning this research involved the end of year data that was collected by on BMI percentile about good health habits and the PA. The weight, height and other physical dimensions were measured using the calibrated digital scale and stadiometer. The healthy habit was monitored using the stopwatch worn for 5-7 days of study.
The intervention strategy was meticulously implemented from September to April for both schools. The children data was collected at their respective schools of study. Data collection was supported by the AMC mobile clinical research unit (MCRU) which is funded by the National Institute of Translational Science Award (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015). The collected data was analyzed various statistical methods. The BMI percentile against the Healthy Habit was subjected to chi-square investigation and Fisher’s exact tests.
The primary aim of this study was to find the fourths and fifth-grade children effects of childhood obesity as well as the various prevention measures. The use of the nursing student to help with the survey was in line with the positions of NASN (Tucker & Lanningham-Foster, 2015). The study effectively helped since the various health implementations strategies were rolled out on the schools subjected to the study and later expanded to the surrounding schools around the USA. The obesity prevention and intervention strategy as was realized from this study largely rely on PA, proper nutrition as well as healthy habits.
Reference
Tucker, S., & Lanningham-Foster, L. M. (2015). Nurse-Led School-Based Child Obesity Prevention. The Journal of School Nursing. Vol. 31(6) 450-466
