Addressing Childhood Obesity in Alabama: A Growing Concern - Research Paper

Introduction

I am interested in addressing the growing and high prevalence of childhood obesity in Alabama. According to World Health Organization (2018), childhood obesity refers to weight issues among children aged two through 19 years. Alabama has one of the highest prevalences in America - therefore prompting immediate efforts at creating effective interventions targeting this issue as soon as possible. A recent statistic shows 12.1% of all income groups of children between two years old and five years are obese (Knol et al. 2019).

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Childhood obesity in the State of Alabama has also been found to vary across different ethnic groups. The highest prevalence is found in children from minority groups- the leading being non-Hispanic Blacks with child obesity rates of 18.2% (Knol et al., 2019). Another minority group with a high prevalence of the condition is Hispanic children at 16.2% (Knol et al., 2019). Another factor associated with childhood obesity is socioeconomic status. An inverse relationship exists between children's socioeconomic status and rates of childhood obesity (Goisis, Sacker & Kelly 2016; Gonzalez-Chica & Boing 2018), suggesting that children from socioeconomically deprived backgrounds are more likely to exhibit higher rates than their counterparts from more affluent households (Bush et al. 2017).

In the State of Alabama, the high prevalence of childhood obesity has been attributed to physical inactivity (Alabama Public Health, 2019). It has been established that 15% of Alabamians meet World Health Organization physical exercise recommendations (Alabama Public Health, 2019). Because obesity is linked to a sedentary lifestyle, the proposed scholar-practitioner project is aimed at ensuring that reduced childhood obesity is attained in the State of Alabama. Consequently, the target population comprises of children who are at a high risk of obesity or those who already have the condition.

Reasons Why Childhood Obesity is a Relevant Health Issue for the Community

Childhood obesity is a relevant health issue in Alabama for a variety of reasons. Before anything, its effects must be carefully evaluated when considering its adverse health outcomes - these must be addressed appropriately to combat it effectively. Children living with obesity have an increased likelihood of hypertension and elevated cholesterol levels (Trandafir et al., 2017), increasing their risk for cardiovascular diseases. Furthermore, childhood obesity has been linked with an increased risk for type 2 diabetes as well as insulin resistance and impaired glucose tolerance (CDC, 2016). Thirdly, children who are overweight often develop breathing issues like sleep apnea and asthma (Xu & Xue 2016). Fourthly, obese children are vulnerable to bullying and stigmatization by others (CDC, 2016), leading them to experience reduced quality of life and low self-esteem (CDC, 2016). Furthermore, childhood obesity has been shown to contribute to psychological issues like depression and anxiety (Rankin et al., 2016).

Children obese should be addressed given its direct and indirect costs, particularly regarding health concerns. Studies analyzing the costs associated with childhood obesity among fifth grade students in California and Texas revealed an average expense of $12,660 per child when compared with normal-weight children who gained weight as adults (Levitt et al. 2010). Costs associated with managing healthy weight throughout adulthood were approximately $19,000 higher (Levitt et al. 2016). Overall, it was estimated that childhood obesity caused between $1.4- $3.0 billion in lifetime medical costs among fifth graders living in two states combined; extrapolated nationwide this cost jumps up to between $17- $25 billion (Levitt et al. 2016).

Despite the health outcomes of childhood diabetes and associated with medical costs, it is crucial to understand that the condition is preventable. Because the problem of childhood is linked to a sedentary lifestyle, then it means that decreased prevalence can be achieved through the promotion of physical activities in the affected communities. Behavior change is a practical approach to the change because by educating parents and teachers that physical exercise will help in the prevention and reversal of childhood obesity, then they can help in the implementation of the intervention.

Possible Public Health Program and How it Would Address Childhood Obesity

The proposed public health program will comprise of parental and teacher coaching, nutritional advice, motivational talk, and physical exercise intervention. First, the parents and teachers will be taught the importance of physical exercise intervention in ensuring that children do not become obese and in reversing obesity for those already affected with the condition. Parents and teachers will help in the implementation of physical exercise intervention. Apart from the physical exercise intervention, parents will be given national advice- especially regarding the foods to avoid to ensure that their children maintain a healthy weight. Lastly, the motivational talk will periodically be given to the participants to ensure that they do not drop out of the program and to appreciate the health outcomes of the interventions.

References

Alabama Public Health. (2019). Nutrition and Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://www.alabamapublichealth.gov/healthrankings/nutrition.html

Bush, N.R., Allison, A.L., Miller, A.L., Deardorff, J., Adler, N.E., Boyce, W.T., 2017. Socioeconomic Disparities in Childhood Obesity Risk: Association With an Oxytocin Receptor Polymorphism. JAMA Pediatr 171, 61-67. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.2332

CDC. (2016). Causes and consequences of childhood obesity. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html

Goisis, A., Sacker, A., & Kelly, Y. (2016). Why are poorer children at higher risk of obesity and overweight? A UK cohort study. European Journal of Public Health, 26(1), 7-13. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckv219

Levitt, D. E., Jackson, A. W., & Morrow, J. R. (2016). An analysis of the medical costs of obesity for fifth graders in california and texas. International Journal of Exercise Science, 9(1), 26-33.

The World Health Organization. (2018). WHO | Taking action on childhood obesity report. Retrieved from http://www.who.int/nutrition/publications/obesity/taking-action-childhood-obesity-report/en/

Wagner, K. J. P., Bastos, J. L. D., Navarro, A., Gonzalez-Chica, D. A., & Boing, A. F. (2018). Socioeconomic status in childhood and obesity in adults: a population-based study. Retrieved from https://www.scielosp.org/article/rsp/2018.v52/15/