Needs Assessments

865 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Teen obesity growth

Needs assessments are a fundamental component of developing and implementing a program. Regarding obesity among adolescents, it is essential to understand the extent of the obesity epidemic. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey in 2007 and 2008, the prevalence of all obese male adolescents ages 12-19 was 19.3 percent and the prevalence of obese female adolescents was 16.8 percent (CDC, 2010). A needs assessment also gathers information regarding all services that are available to the adolescent population. It is important for a needs assessment to be conducted because it allows the target population to comprehend any assets they may have in the community and allow them to see the severity of obesity themselves. …show more content…

In this case, data will be collected in middle or high school settings. Adolescents within the target group will be asked to fill out the Youth Risk Behavior Survey questionnaire regarding their eating behaviors and what types of physical activity they participate in. The nutrition portion of the questionnaire will entail things such as how many servings of fruits and vegetables they consume and the number of times they consume fast foods in a typical week. As for the activities section of the questionnaire, questions will involve how often individuals participate in activities weekly and how many minutes or hours they spend performing a physical activity in addition to types of physical activity they participate in (i.e. soccer, basketball, …show more content…

For Cortland County Healthy Life Program, data will be collected in the school setting through the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). This is essential because it will provide a baseline in terms of what behaviors need to be addressed before anything else for the Cortland County Health Life Program. The data will provide team members with information necessary to see where the biggest problem areas are such as eating habits both in and outside of school as well as physical activity habits and how external influences could have an impact on their

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of The Victorian Health And Wellbeing Plan

    1370 Words  | 3 Pages

    The six priority areas are listed as; healthier eating and active living, tobacco free living, reducing harmful alcohol and drug use, improving mental health, preventing violence and injury, and improving sexual and reproductive health. The backbone of the plan is to influence healthy living choices, developing from childhood, throughout life approaching old ages, leading to lessened risks of burden of disease (Department of Health,

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity Among African American Girls

    2106 Words  | 5 Pages

    Official Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, 127. Shi, L., & Stevens, G. D. (2010). A general framework to study vulnerable populations. In Vulnerable Populations in the United States (2nd ed. , pp. 1).

    Read More

  • Obesity in Children Across America

    1344 Words  | 3 Pages

    Obesity in children across America has become an increasing public health concern. Obesity has been identified as an epidemic that is plaguing our children in the United States. In some countries around the world children are dying of starvation everyday. How can this happen when here in America the opposite is a major problem? This is not to say that in America there are no hungry or starving children. It has been proven that our children suffer from obesity, and “children who are overweight or obese as preschoolers are five times as likely as normal-weight children to be overweight or obese as adults” (“Hope”). Obesity not only can cause a child to become more prone to having health problems down the road, but it can also make them feel insecure about themselves. There needs to be action taken in schools as well as in homes to help prevent this growing epidemic.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity in African American Children

    1313 Words  | 3 Pages

    Childhood obesity has become a huge problem in the United States. Over twenty one percent of African American children are obese, not including the twenty percent who were just overweight. Studies show that the increase in Type II diabetes, which is caused by obesity has increased dramatically in children of African American culture. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) The hospital costs associated with childhood obesity were 127 million dollars from 1997-1999, increasing $92 million from 1979-1981. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) However, long term effects are also a concern for adolescent obesity. Overweight children have a 70 percent chance of being obese or overweight adults, which increases to 80 percen...

    Read More

  • A Proposal to Reverse Obesity Rates

    1830 Words  | 4 Pages

    Obesity is a rising problem in the United States. With obesity rates on the rise something must be done to prevent this massive issue. There are ways to help including educating at young ages, improving nutrition facts at restaurants, and providing more space for citizens to get physically active.

    Read More

  • A Social Ecological Approach to Rising Levels of Overweight and Obesity in Children and Adolescents in the United States

    2208 Words  | 5 Pages

    Childhood onset overweight and obesity and its’ associated health consequences are quickly becoming major significant public health issues facing America today. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define overweight as a body mass index (BMI) between the 85th and 95th percentile while obese is defined as BMI above the 95th percentile for children of the same age and sex . The prevalence of overweight children, defined based on 2009 CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics data, has more than tripled in the past 30 years. Between 1980 and 2006, the incidence of overweight among children aged 6 to 11 years increased from 6.5% to 17.0% while overweight levels for adolescents aged 12 to 19 years increased from 5.0% to 17.6% . Not only has prevalence of child and adolescent overweight and obesity increased dramatically over the last several decades, but being an overweight or obese child puts one at a heightened risk for adult overweight and obesity .

    Read More

  • Overview of the Obesity Epidemic

    1810 Words  | 4 Pages

    There is no doubt that obesity has taken its seat as one of the top disease that strikes the world today. In America, obesity has now spread through the country leaving 2 out of 3 adults either overweight or obese, and worldwide 1.5 billion are overweight or obese (Overweight). The cause of this disease stems from multiple reasons such as the increase in modern food production, putting out ample amounts of food causing the prices for meat, groceries, and especially junk food to plummet. Subsequently, Americans especially were more inclined to purchase more food and showed an increase in the average American house hold food intake by 1,000 more calories a day (Dreifus).

    Read More

  • Overview of Childhood Obesity

    1800 Words  | 4 Pages

    Childhood and adolescent obesity is a problem of significant concern. Whether obese or at risk, excessive fat is based on the ratio of weight to height, age, and gender of the individual (Ul-Haq, Mackay, Fenwick, & Pell, 2013). Today’s youth are considered the most inactive generation in history thus, childhood and adolescent obesity is more prevalent than ever before. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) documents the obesity rate in children ages 6-11 in 2012 at 18% (an increase from seven percent in 1980), and adolescents at 21% (an increase from five percent in 1980). The obesity rate in children has more than doubled and quadrupled in adolescents over a 30-year period (CDC, n.d). The factors responsible for childhood and adolescent obesity are related to childhood lifestyle, family influence, and community factors (CMA Foundation, 2008). The Healthy People 2020 goal, NWS-10.4, is to “reduce the proportion of children and adolescents aged 2 to 19 years who are considered obese from 16.1% to 14.5%” (Healthy People 2020, 2013). Overweight children and adolescents are at increased risk for severe medical issues that can last a lifetime. Interventions to reduce the incidence and improve the health of young people involve solutions at the primary (low risk youth), secondary (at risk youth), and tertiary (obese) levels (Sweeting, 2008). Parents, caregivers, and medical professionals can work together in diagnosing if the child is becoming obese or if the child is having a growth spurt (Ul-Haq et al., 2013).

    Read More

  • The Obesity Epidemic in America

    2913 Words  | 6 Pages

    Imagine a world where a school aged child can step out of their school and walk into a McDonalds. A world where soda companies make millions of dollars a year by placing soda machines in schools. A world where 30.5 percent of adults are considered obese. A world where obesity is killing more people than smoking. What if I told you this world is not in your imagination but is the world we live in today?

    Read More

  • Service Line Development Case Study

    1609 Words  | 4 Pages

    Interventions will also need to be included to meet assessment needs and must also meet at least one of the following criteria. Improve access to healthcare services. Enhance the health of the community. Advance medical or health knowledge. Relieve or reduce the burden of government or other community efforts (Evans, 2011).

    Read More

  • Obesity Swot Analysis

    1165 Words  | 3 Pages

    It is estimated that over 145,800 residents in Somerset County are obese (Healthier Somerset, 2012-2015). Aware of the obesity epidemic, Somerset County, with its internal areas of strength, created the task force, “Healthier You and Healthier Families” to work together as a team with community leaders, schools and healthcare organizations to initiate better diets at schools, provide educational obesity workshops, and recreation

    Read More

  • Needs Assessment and SWOT Analysis

    837 Words  | 2 Pages

    Needs assessments are imperative to the success of a project. They are an essential part of the planning process. A need assessment guides the administrators as they define the terms of the project. A needs assessment is defined as, “a systematic approach to studying the state of knowledge, ability, interest, or attitude of a defined audience or group involving a particular subject” (McCawley, 2009, p. 3). An effective needs assessment provides insight, information, is objective, and assists in identifying gaps in services.

    Read More

  • Public Health Issue of Obesity

    1264 Words  | 3 Pages

    "The increased prevalence of overweight and obesity particularly among children and adolescents is a severe public health problem" (Bray, 2005). According to our text, health education and health promotion are recognized increasingly as ways to meet public health objectives and improve the success of public health and medical interventions around the world (Gollust, 2014).

    Read More

  • Research Methodology: Qualitative Methods of Data Collection

    1727 Words  | 4 Pages

    Young,E,Fors,S.(2001). Factors Related to the Eating Habits of Students in Grades 9-12. Journal of School Health, 71(10), 483-488.

    Read More

  • Schools Can Reduce Childhood Obesity

    2217 Words  | 5 Pages

    Childhood obesity is a health problem that is becoming increasingly prevalent in society’s youth. For a number of years, children across the nation have become accustomed to occasionally participating in physical activities and regularly snacking on sugary treats. In result of these tendencies, approximately one third of American children are currently overweight or obese (Goodwin). These grim statistics effectively represent all the lack of adult interference, in regards to health, has done to the youth of America. The habits of over consuming foods and under participating in physical activities are all too common in the children of today. Children cannot solve this issue alone, though. These young people need to essentially be given the opportunities to make positive health decisions and learn about good, nutritional values.

    Read More

More about Needs Assessments

Open Document