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What are the causes and preventive strategies for reducing obesity rates among children?
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A research question is a cause of concern where the knowledge and experience

essential for professional nursing is inadequate. The main objective of research is to develop

evidence to answer the problem issue, with the end purpose of achieving evidence-based

medical care.

The research problem selected for this paper is about the obesity among children.

Obesity is indeed a national problem, particularly among children of different ethnic and

cultural origins. Below are some of the evidence based findings on child obesity.

Obesity has also been reported to be influenced by cultural influences. Food is

commonly used as a reward, a means of controlling others, and as part of socializing in our

society. As Mandal & Gopal Chandra (2011) outline that such uses of food would promote

the creation of unhealthy habits with food, thus raising the likelihood of developing obese.

The intake of junk foods has also been studied as a possible significant contributor to

child obesity. Chips, pastries, and sweets are examples of junk foods. Many studies have been

conducted to evaluate whether these foods are to blame for the increase in child obesity.

Although it is evident that snacking increases overall caloric consumption, no studies have

been done to prove this.

Child obesity has hit unprecedented levels in developed and emerging countries.

Prevalence of obesity in children has significant effects on quality of life. According to Raj &

Kumar (2015), overweight children are more prone to remain in that condition in future and

develop non-communicable illnesses including diabetes and heart diseases at a youthful age

making obesity a key area to be addressed on. Ogden & Carroll. (2017) also argue that

obesity growth mechanism is not well known and is believed to be a multi-causal disease.

Environmental conditions, dietary patterns, and sociocultural context play an important role

in the obesity rates worldwide.

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To better understand child obesity, Lifshitz (2018) suggests that some of infant risk

factors entail food consumption, physical exercise, and inactivity. Genetics also proves to be

one of the causes explored for obesity. Research conducted found that BMI is 24–42%

heritable. However, less than 5 percent in childhood obesity is the hereditary cause. Hence

proving not solely responsible for the increase child obesity. In recent years, increased fast

food intake has been related to obesity. A lot of families, particularly those who have two

working parents outside their homes, choose these places because their children often prefer

them and both easily accessible and inexpensive. Foods sold in fast food outlets tend to have

a high percentage of calories. Strauss & Knight (2019) are of a similar opinion on their study

on dietary habits of thin and overweight teens in fast food restaurants as analyzed in their

report.

Child obesity calls for serious interventions to be put in place. Such interventions are

as outlined below as per the searches conducted in the CINAHL database. A scan of the

number of statistical libraries to investigate means of reducing childhood obesity was

conducted. Findings for children of all ages were included. Studies on whether the techniques

used were intended to change the diet or physical activity of children or both were also

included. From the search results, 154 Randomized controlled trials were found. These trials

were mostly concentrated in countries with high revenues such as the United States and

Europe, while 15% were in low-income. Over half (57%) of RCTs sought interventions to

improve diets or levels of exercise for kids aged 7–13 years, one quarter for kids aged 0–6

years and the fifth (20%) for adolescents aged 14–19 years old. The techniques were used in

various locations such as home, pre-school or school and were often aimed at attempting to

improve individual conduct. This concluded that methods to modify diet or exercise or both

of kids helped ensure that obesity was avoided are successful in reducing the BMI score
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modestly among children of 1-13 years, hence proving helpful to parents and children in

minimizing chances of obesity.

Nursing interventions to reduce obesity Rationale

Examine child’s obesity whether organic or Intervention selected is influenced by

inorganic. assessment conducted.

Keep a daily food journal and review it Allows the nurse to concentrate on a

regularly. rational image of the amount of food

consumed and the resulting eating habits

and feelings. Identifies habits that need to be

changed or a foundation for tailoring a

dietary program.
Examine and discuss the thoughts and This helps the nurse know when a patient

activities surrounding food intake with the eats to fulfill an emotional need rather than

child. physiological appetite.

Recording the child’s weight and height This helps in accessing the effectiveness of

frequently. the treatment regimen of the child by the

nurse. This proves the success and visual

evidence that the child is losing weight.

Diet change is also one of the methods that help in weight loss in children. According

to Campbell & Summerbell (2012) change in what one consumes has an adverse effect on

their weight gain rate. They are also of a similar opinion that bad eating patterns with

minimal physical activity lead to increased rates in children obesity. This leads to fat

accumulation as physical exercise helps burn off the body fats. Change in diet, helps in

supplying the body with the needed nutrients rather than calories that transfer to fat.
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In conclusion, it is evident that interventions should be put in place regarding obesity

in children. Parents should be more informed in these matters in order to curb this as outlined

above. Children should also be taught the importance of a proper diet at early age, this carries

over to the child overall quality in life.

SUMMARY TABLE

Authors Year Research Population & Data: Type &

Design Sample Size Analysis
Process
Barbosa 2021 The cross 156 children Excess weight
Lagares, sectional aged 5 to 10 was found in
Erika; design years old. Area 27.5 percent of
Alves research was of the the population.
Sousa, performed Divinópolis- Maternal waist
Paulo with 156 MG circumference
Henrique; children aged Municipality (OR was 1.04),
Araujo 5 to 10 years (Brazil). protein intake
Resende, old who were (OR was around
Karolyne; enrolled in the Between July 1.02), abnormal
Camilo rural Family 2017 and April ingestion of
Santos, Health 2018, organic juice
Letícia; Strategies. (OR=5.05), as
Rodrigues well as the most
Silva, Luiz preferred social
Henrique; status, C1
Silva social stratum
Belo, (OR was about
Vinícius; 3.54) were all
Caetano found to be
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Romano significantly
and correlated with
Márcia excessive
Christina weight in kids.
Nydjie 2010 This study 47 mothers of Urban Afro-
Payas was children in American
MPH, conducted on school mothers had
Geraldine 47 mothers of higher BMIs and
M. ,Budd school going were much
PhD, children about more concerned
Marcia their opinion about the
Polansky on their child weight status of
MS weight status. their child than
(Cross- rural white
sectional mothers. In
design) addition,
maternal BMI
was linked to
the total number
of people in the
households.
Mandal, 2015 The cross- The research Except for
Gopal sectional involved a total BMAI, no major
Chandra; study focused of 1.012 associations
Bose & on BMI, children (boys were seen over
Kaushik body weight = 498; girls = all adiposity
and height 514; most scales.
among the Hindu by Furthermore,
population religious belief) the frequency of
sample between 2-6 BMAI
selected. The years of age. associations
dimensions with BMI is very
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(in strong (p 0.001)

centimeters) (boys: r = 0.907,
were girls: r = 0.881,
calculated sex-combined: r
arithmetically = 0.894).
and according
to Lohman et
al and the
BMAI were
computed by
multiplying
BMI with
waist size.
Pearson's
adiposity
coefficients (r)
with BMI have
been
determined.
Kesim, 2018 (Cross Samples were According to the
Servet, sectional recorded from scores, the girls
Çiçek, design)To 4,534 children and boys that
Betül, investigate and teens were healthy
Asım Aral, the (2,006 boys had a score of
Cüneyt, association and zero and had a
Öztürk, between 2,453 girls). higher BMI and
Ahmet, obesity and WC. Unhealthy
Mustafa & oral health individuals
Kurtoğlu status in score>1 girls
Selim children and and p<0.05 for
adolescents boys. Healthy
between 6 - individuals had
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12 years. higher fat

percentage than
unwell
girls(p<0.05)
Grosso,Gi 2020 A Cross Was It was seen that
useppe,Mi sectional conducted on pupils whose
stretta, survey and 445 pupils guardians had a
Antonio, investigation aged between higher
Turconi, 4 and 15 years education level
Giovanna; old. ate more
Cena, vegetables and
Hellas; fruits. Higher
Roggi, education
Carla; among parents
Galvano, proved better
Fabio diet for the
students.
Yang, 2018 Cross Was Kid's mass
Burrows, sectional conducted on index (BMI)
& study survey children appeared
MacDonal families of related
d‐Wicks ages between positively to
8 and 13 years parent BMI
old. (fathers, r=0.37;
mothers, r=0.34;
P<0.01).

Database search strategy

CINAHL DATABASE

Keyword Search Limiters Expander Search Scope note Search Date

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mode s type strategy

Obesity  Boolean/Phr Text Apply Advanced An abnormal Pediatric 2015-present
ase
AND equivalent search accumulation Obesity

children subjects. of body fat in /NU

children or /PC

adolescents. /RF/SS
Obesity Boolean/ Full text Apply Advanced Strategies to Interventio 2015-present

AND Phrase equivalent search reduce ns for

intervention subjects. abnormal fat obesity in

s AND accumulation children

Children in children
Obesity Find all Full text Apply Advanced Reasons for Causes of 2015-present

AND my search equivalent the fat pediatric

causes items subjects. accumulation obesity

AND in children

children
Obesity Boolean/P Full text Apply Advanced Feelings and Attitude to 2015-present
views toward
AND hrase equivalent Obesity
one's own or
attitude subjects
another's obesity.

Screenshots on the search conducted

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OVID DATABASE

Keyword Search mode Type of search Date limits

Obesity By keywords Advanced 2015-present
Causes of obesity By journal Advanced 2015-present

PRISMA FLOW DIAGRAM

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Identification of articles via CINAHL AND OVID Databases

Identification
Records removed before
Records identified from*: screening (n =248)
Databases (n = 2) Duplicate records removed (n
= 234)
Records removed for other
reasons (n = 14)

Screening
Records excluded based on
Records identified through abstracts and titles
search: (n=2482) (n = 2156)
Records retrieved:
(n = 2546)

Full text articles excluded, with

Full text articles assessed for reasons (n=14):
eligibility
Eligibility Review (n=3)
(n =60) Mixed children and adults
(n=5)
Obesity not defined with BMI
(n=1)
Self-reported BMI (n=2)
Duplicate article publications
(n=3)
Eligible full text articles
(n =40)

Included
Studies included in the review
(n = 42)
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References

Campbell, K. J., Waters, E., O'Meara, S., Kelly, S., & Summerbell, C. D. (2012).

Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane Database of Systematic

Reviews, (2).

Cornette, R. E. (2015). The emotional impact of obesity on children. Global perspectives on

childhood obesity, 257-264.

Dietz, W. H., & Gortmaker, S. L. (2015). Preventing obesity in children and

adolescents. Annual review of public health, 22(1), 337-353.

Lifshitz, F. (2018). Obesity in children. Journal of clinical research in pediatric

endocrinology, 1(2), 53.

Lobstein, T., Baur, L., & Uauy, R. (2014). Obesity in children and young people: a crisis in

public health. Obesity reviews, 5, 4-85.

Mandal, Gopal Chandra (2011). “Measuring Fatness Among Rural Pre-School Children

Using a New Index of Abdominal Adiposity.” International journal of child health

and human development : IJCHD., 4(3) , 309–315.

Ogden, C., & Carroll, M. (2017). Prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents:

United States, trends 1963–1965 through 2017–2018. National Center for Health

Statistics, 303(3), 242-249.

Oude Luttikhuis, H., Baur, L., Jansen, H., Shrewsbury, V. A., O'malley, C., Stolk, R. P., &

Summerbell, C. D. (2019). Cochrane review: Interventions for treating obesity in

children. Evidence‐based Child Health: A Cochrane Review Journal, 4(4), 1571-

1729.
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Raj, M., & Kumar, R. K. (2015). Obesity in children & adolescents. The Indian journal of

medical research, 132(5), 598.

Skinner, A. C., & Skelton, J. A. (2018). Prevalence and trends in obesity and severe obesity

among children in the United States, 1999-2012. JAMA pediatrics, 168(6), 561-566.

Skinner, A. C., Perrin, E. M., Moss, L. A., & Skelton, J. A. (2015). Cardiometabolic risks and

severity of obesity in children and young adults. New England Journal of

Medicine, 373(14), 1307-1317.

Strauss, R. S., & Knight, J. (2019). Influence of the home environment on the development of

obesity in children. Pediatrics, 103(6), e85-e85.

Summerbell, C. D., Waters, E., Edmunds, L., Kelly, S. A., Brown, T., & Campbell, K. J.

(2015). Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane database of

systematic reviews, (3).

Waters, E., de Silva‐Sanigorski, A., Burford, B. J., Brown, T., Campbell, K. J., Gao, Y., ... &

Summerbell, C. D. (2016). Interventions for preventing obesity in children. Cochrane

database of systematic reviews, (12).