Childhood Obesity: Get Active, Thesis of Brand Marketing

Download Childhood Obesity: Get Active and more Thesis Brand Marketing in PDF only on Docsity! D025 Childhood Obesity: Get Active Western Governors University D025: Essentials of Advanced Nursing Roles and Interprofessional Practice Childhood Obesity: Get Active Executive Summary C1. Summary of the Context and Scope of the SDOH in My Community Obesity nationally has been a talking point for many years. For the state of Nevada, as of 2020, we were ranked 19th overall. It doesn't seem too upsetting, given we have 50 states; however, the state was ranked 8th healthiest overall in 2018 (Census Reporter, n.d.). In the Annual State of Nevada Obesity Report of 2018, 10.1% of children entering the kindergarten class were overweight, and approximately one-fifth (21.2%) were considered obese. Washoe County ranked 2nd for having the most significant report of obesity in children. In researching lost-cost sports and exercise programs for adolescents, it was determined that there are very few available in Washoe County. The average cost of these programs being approximately $75 - $150 per season. This limits those children from the 34% of households taking home less than $50,000 per year and monthly rent being $1300 per month for a 900 square foot apartment (Census Reporter, n.d.). Washoe County is considered the least affordable county to live in, as most residents can barely afford a $300,000 home. Our community needs to create access to low- cost youth extracurricular sports and exercise programs that are affordable. The effects obesity has on our youth can be long-standing and create higher healthcare costs. Increasing the activity of our youth level in their younger years can prevent health issues in their adult years. It will also decrease the strain on our healthcare system due to the comorbidities that follow obesity. C2. Summary of How the Proposed Policy will Address the SDOH in My Community Our parks and recreation department has done a fair amount of work in creating a safe place for children to partake in outdoor sports activities in our community. There are a limited number of low-cost classes/teams available for organized team sports and exercise programs. It can be competitive to gain a spot due to the number allowed. If our county wants to decrease the number of obese adolescents, we need to think creatively to increase the availability of these resources. We would create programs geared toward our youth in our low-income households by engaging community leaders and sponsorship organizations. Like affordable housing programs, we would have the same set standards for how many affordable sports and exercise programs we would need. Adolescents will become more active and lead less sedentary lives, thus decreasing their chances of obesity. I would also propose that we mandate physical education be a required class for elementary and middle school students. Currently, Nevada only requires high school students. C3. Proposal of Persuasive Course of Action for Policy Makers It would be fantastic to have our community come together to create a healthier Washoe County. Our youth is our future, and it is essential to invest in their health. I want our city to expand on our current services and focus on our low-income families. Together through a shared partnership with key stakeholders from the Washoe County Health Department, City Parks and Recreations Department, council members, and the University of Nevada, Reno, we can make a change. Today, children ages 10 to 17 years of age that are obese come from Mexican American low-income households in Washoe County (Kumar, 2019). We as a community can change this stat by following the new section in Healthy People 2020, Adolescent health. In this new section, AH-2 focuses on increasing adolescent's participation in extracurricular activities inside and outside of school. Be a part of the changes we need to make for our youth and help decrease childhood obesity by being more active. Please help us create affordable extracurricular sports and exercise programs to get our youth active. Let's prevent childhood obesity and protect our youth's health. 2. Councilman of Ward 1 Donald Abbott, would be a great addition to the policy-making team. He currently sits on our Regional Planning Board, is also the Vice-Chair to the Redevelopment Agency in town. Donald is a strong advocate for communicating the community's needs. Given his various roles in these local areas, he can help gain support and the reallocation of local funds to fight childhood obesity. 3. Doctor Kelly Bumgarner is the Director of Health Policy for the Children's Advocacy Alliance. Her role as the Director of Health Policy is to promote the wellness and safety of Nevada's underserved communities. Dr. Bumgarner's role in health policy change will be essential to the work we would like to do in Washoe County to create low-cost sports and exercise programs. A4. Why the SDOH Requires the Policy Maker's Attention Current state policy only requires high school students to participate in a physical exercise program. The issue with this is that most school-aged children impacted by obesity are enrolled in the fourth through seventh-grade levels (Washoe County School District, 2016, p.1). Not enforcing all grade levels to participate in physical education classes will continue to increase obesity later in life. The current cost of healthcare are upwards of $14 million for managing childhood obesity (National League of Cities, n.d.). Not enforcing early physical education would add to this financial burden. Nevada also does not have a policy that mandates a set amount of low-cost affordable sports and exercise programs. There is a limited amount of resources available to support a program such as this at a local level. Given our high rates of Hispanic youth obesity and their residential area of living, safe places to exercise are a must. A4a. Current Policy or the Effect of Not Having a Current Policy The effects of not having a policy that promotes low-cost sports and exercise programs within our community are damaging to our youth. Let alone not requiring physical education courses for our elementary and middle school-age children. Childhood obesity alone is responsible for $14 billion in direct medical costs (National League of Cities, n.d.). Children are leading more sedentary lives and need to be motivated to get active. Creating a policy that helps support our youth, especially those of low-income families living in or close to poverty, will help with this issue. A4b. Ethical Implications of Current Policy or Absence of Existing Policy Ethically, not changing current requirements for all grade levels to participate in a physical education course is impactful. Children in their younger school-aged years do not understand what a healthy lifestyle entails. Our obese youth and families are predisposed to increased emergency room visits, increased need for specialized care, and increased demand for prescription drugs to manage their health (Wilfley et al., 2017). Reflecting on our current Hispanic population and their household income, they are already struggling to access healthcare and even safe housing. Adding physical education requirements to the current policy at all grade levels will assist this population with safe access to exercise. Provision 8 speaks to how we can promote health diplomacy to improve health and reduce health disparities for all (American Nurses Association, 2015). Increasing access as well to exercise programs outside of schools will also help as well. Provision 2 speaks to our commitment to our community and this population in need (American Nurses Association, 2015). Our youth deserves the ability to participate in activities that promote a healthy lifestyle without increased cost and access being an issue. Mandating a policy requiring a set amount of available low-cost program spots for those living in poverty areas will help minimize childhood obesity. A5. Demographics Table (Place Title of SDOH here) Statistics/facts Summary of statistics/facts Source for statistics/facts Demographic Information (Provide two or more statistics/facts associated with demographics for SDOH in the column to the right) Risk Factors (Provide two or more statistics/facts regarding risk factors associated with SDOH in the column to the right). 39% of Hispanic youth ages 2 to 19 years of age are overweight or obese compared to 28% of white youth One-third of our youth are living in poverty Obese children are at a higher risk than their healthy peers for having cardiovascular disease, respiratory illness, and potential cancers. Children ages 8 to 18 years of age spend, on average, 7.5 hours using electronics. Hispanic families have the lowest per capita income, which leads to decrease access to housing, food resources (tend to purchase frozen foods versus fresh produce), and healthcare access. The majority of workers in the county make less than $16 per hour. Thus limiting the ability to purchase necessary groceries, provide a safe place to live, and provide youth with funds to participate in sports and exercise programs. Increasing risks of these diseases will create high healthcare costs for our youth in later years and decrease their life expectancy. An increase in a sedentary lifestyle is one of the primary causes of obesity. National League of Cities. (n.d.) Renown Health. (2017) National League of Cities. (n.d.) National League of Cities. (n.d.) National League of Cities. (n.d.) Renown Health. (2017) Trends in Childhood It shows that more Sanyaolu, et al. (2019) activity levels of our youth. Research shows that being active can help with weight management and reduce the risk later on in life of multiple diseases (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020). Implementing a policy that enforces physical education will also have some start-up costs. However, if implemented, it would cost approximately $235 million and reduce health care costs by $60.5 million year over year (Barrett et al., 2015, p 151). Substantial investment and worth it in the long run. Included in the start-up costs would be hiring additional staffing, education onboarding, and equipment needed to name a few. Incorporating this policy change, we hope to decrease the strain on the already taxed healthcare system and reduce the overall expenditure of medical costs associated with obesity. Sharifi et al. performed research on how the impact of early childhood intervention on obesity could substantially decrease healthcare costs. The primary focus group of children aged six to twelve. Early intervention over a ten-year research period yielded an approximate healthcare savings of $64 million per year (Sharifi et al., 2017, p. 5). If Nevada instituted the same principles from this research, the state would save millions on medical costs associated with childhood obesity. B3c. Two Ethical Implications of Proposed Policy Alternative In the article titled "Ethical Issues in Treating Childhood Obesity" by Voigt et al. (2017), the authors discussed the important opportunities schools have for teaching physical activity habits to students and healthy eating habits. In promoting physical education, we are fulfilling Provision 3 of the Code of Ethics in that we are advocating for our youth and protecting their rights to lead a healthy life. Educating the beneficial aspects of physical activity will provide our youth with the tools they need to lead a healthy, active life. Thus, decreasing their chances of seeking urgent medical treatment, less need for specialized weight management programs, and reduced healthcare costs. The school district could also utilize the school nurse to assist in the education of healthy eating during a physical education class. The school nurse can also share with the students how to eat a well-balanced meal on a relatively small budget that they can take home to share with their families. Provision 8 of the American Nurses Association Code of Ethics discusses the influence we have as healthcare providers to collaborate with the public to promote efforts to meet our community's health needs. Schools also can reach all socioeconomic groups, thus decreasing the gap in resources available to our underprivileged population. B4. Barriers to Implementation of Proposed Policy Alternative The only barrier that I currently foresee being an issue is our teacher resources. We frequently hear a shortage of teachers in our local area, and the class ratio for the teacher to student has gone up over the years. If we cannot hire standard classroom educators, it will be challenging to hire physical education positions. For this policy change to be successful, we would need additional financial assistance to employ what we will need. B5. Communication Methods used to Introduce the Proposed Policy 1. Utilize social media channels to gain attention to the topic of childhood obesity in our community. Allow for open discussion on blogs to see what other opportunities community members have identified. Take the opportunities identified on the social media blog and share with policymakers the support and ideas the community has found to decrease childhood obesity. 2. Reach out to local news and radio stations to speak to the childhood obesity statistics within our community and discuss the planned policy change to ask for support. Sharing with the community the statistics of obesity within our county will bring more attention to the topic, thus increasing access to safe places to exercise. This attention will show policymakers that the community is aware and is ready to help in any way to decrease childhood obesity. 3. Attend an open city council meeting to bring this issue to light and ask what the council is currently addressing. Use the information gained from that city council meeting and incorporate it into the policy changes that need to happen. When presenting to policymakers, they will know of the work taking place and the actions that need to happen. 4. Attend a school board meeting to discuss the need to require physical education at all levels. By providing physical education at all levels, we will reach the youth in our community that lacks the resources needed to have a safe place to exercise. It will also decrease the socioeconomic gap between those living in poverty and better access outside schools. Support from the School Board would yield additional teachers for physical education classes. B6. Potential Results of Inaction Potential inaction would mean that we do not care about the health and well-being of our children. It means to turn a blinds eye to the issue and do nothing. We will continue to see our statistics double, just like in prior years. There will continue to be an increase in the cost of healthcare. Our children will not lead a healthy life and will ultimately have less of a life expectancy. Reflection D1a/b. Change Agent Description and Knowledge and Skills to Develop To be a change agent, you have to have the inner ability to inspire change when needed. A change agent has a passion for what they believe in and can share that passion with others to gain Nevada Department of Agriculture. (n.d.). Nevada's School Wellness Policy: Best Practices Manual. Retrieved May 6, 2021, from https://nutrition.nv.gov/uploadedFiles/nutritionnvgov/Content/Programs/Wellness_docume nts/SWP%20Best%20Practices%20Manual%20-11%2007%2014.pdf Renown Health. (2017). Washoe County Community Health Needs Assessment. Renown Health | Hospital Network in Reno, Nevada. Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.renown.org/wp-content/uploads/CHNA_Final-1.pdf Sanyaolu, A., Okorie, C., Qi, X., Locke, J., & Rehman, S. (2019). Childhood and adolescent obesity in the United States: A public health concern. Global Pediatric Health, 6. https://doi.org/10.1177/2333794x19891305 Sharifi, M., Franz, C., Huron, C., Giles, C., Long, M., Ward, Z., Resch, S., Marshall, R., Gortmaker, S., & Taveras, E. (2017). Cost-Effectiveness of a Clinical Childhood Obesity Intervention. Pediatrics, 140(5). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2016-2998 Stanford Children's Health. (n.d.). Organized Sports for Kids. Stanford Children's Health - Lucile Packard Children's Hospital Stanford. Retrieved May 4, 2021, from https://www.stanfordchildrens.org/en/topic/default?id=organized-sports-for-kids-1- 4556 The State of Childhood Obesity. (n.d.). Obesity rate for youth ages 10 to 17. Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://stateofchildhoodobesity.org/children1017/ Voigt, K., Nicholls, S. G., & Williams, G. (2014). Childhood obesity: Ethical and policy issues. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199964482.001.0001 Washoe County Health District. (2016). Weight Status Of Washoe County School District Youth. Washoe County Health District | Enhancing Quality of Life, 26(20), 1- 2. https://www.washoecounty.us/health/files/ephp/epi-news/2016/Vol%2036%20No %2020%2010-14-2016%20Weight%20Status%20of%20Washoe%20County%20School %20District%20Youth.pdf Washoe County School District. (2020). We are WCSD – WCSDdata. Retrieved May 3, 2021, from https://www.wcsddata.net/data-topics/wearewcsd/ Wilfley, D.E., Staiano, A.E., Altman, M., Lindros, J., Lima, A., Hassink, S.G., Dietz, W.H., Cook, S. and (2017), Improving access and systems of care for evidence‐based childhood obesity treatment: Conference key findings and next steps. Obesity, 25: 16- 29. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.21712 World Health Organization. (n.d.). Obesity. World Health Organization. Retrieved April 23, 2021, from https://www.who.int/health-topics/obesity#tab=tab_1.