Needs Assessment: Designing A Public Health Program (Childhood Obesity)

Capella University

MPH5990: Public Health Capstone

July 2022

Needs Assessment: Designing A Public Health Program (Childhood Obesity)

Obesity rates among children and teens have climbed significantly during the past several years. As of this year, 18.5% of young American children and teenagers are obese, according to a recent report. This demonstrates the need of lowering and mitigating childhood obesity, not only in the near term but also in the long term, in order to reduce the risk of chronic diseases as a result of obesity. It is important to measure, analyze, and come up with cost-effective strategies for reducing obesity in order to ensure that “national, city, and county initiatives are focused on eliminating this concern and the necessary stakeholders have the accurate information intended to improve children’s well-being.”

Identify the Problem, Issue, or Situation

To begin, the high levels of cholesterol and blood pressure that are associated with childhood obesity contribute to the development of a number of health problems, including an impaired glucose tolerance and an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Obesity in children is associated with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes (Verduci et al., 2022). It is possible for it to bring on joint pain, in addition to breathing issues such as asthma and sleep apnea.

Utilize epidemiological statistics to profile for the targeted population

Patterns of growth over the course of time. The crisis that is being caused by the epidemic of childhood obesity is one that is not only taking place on a national scale but also on a global scale, and the primary focus of this crisis is on public health. The imbalances between the number of calories children consume and the number of calories they burn off are the root of the problem that is leading to an increase in the prevalence of childhood obesity (Verduci et al., 2022). In addition, there is a manuscript that not only identifies and discusses the numerous factors that contribute to the development of childhood obesity but also demonstrates how nations can address the epidemic and the difficulties that it presents.

According to more recent research (2011–2015), age groups rather than grade levels are used to group the prevalence of overweight and obesity nationwide. According to this study, there are the following national prevalence rates for overweight children: 14.4% of kids between the ages of 2 and 5, 16.5% of kids between the ages of 6 and 11, and 14% of kids between the ages of 12 and 19. 1 Children aged 2 to 5 make up 8.9% of the obese population, followed by children aged 6 to 11 at 17.5 percent, and children aged 12 to 19 at 20.5 percent (Ogden et al 2014).

The prevalence of overweight and obesity in children nationwide was previously assessed in kindergarten, sixth grade, and ninth grade.

US_overweight

Graph Reference: (Consortium to Lower Obesity in Chicago Children, 2022)

Identify community leadership stakeholders who would be involved with implementing public health-related programs for this specific problem or issue.

It is of the utmost importance that those in positions of authority place a high priority on primary prevention and make investments in the treatment of childhood obesity; doing so will contribute to a reduction in the prevalence of obesity in children. One of the many approaches that can be taken to combat the epidemic of childhood obesity is to limit the amount of time that children spend in front of the television (Han et al., 2019). This is just one of many potential solutions. It is possible to lessen the prevalence of obesity by decreasing the number of beverages and foods that are sold despite meeting the minimum requirements for nutrition.

Over and above the intervention mentioned, legislators and other stakeholders are better informed on the causes, impacts, and ways to avoid children’s obesity and their families’ different requirements through the use of child well-being monitoring systems. Monitoring and analyzing data can help us identify the most pressing issues in the fight against obesity, as well as prospects for further testing. Improved trends in childhood obesity were detected and effective public policy remedies were established using reliable surveillance systems (Lakshman et al., 2021). As an example, strong information collection and monitoring programs helped to identify obesity as a major public health concern by recognizing its trends and likely causes.

Evaluate the available resources and the missing resources to address the public health problem.

The state of one’s health can be influenced by a variety of different things. Some of the factors that can have an effect on the status and the norms of the community include an individual’s behavior, the level of health care that they receive, the genetic inheritance that they receive, and the general environment (Verduci et al., 2022).