[University Affiliation]
Introduction
Obesity in children forms a major health problem as it could lead to complications in future. Rising numbers of obese children below the age of three, especially among the Hispanic population requires greater attention from the US healthcare authorities and appropriate healthcare policies need to be sufficed for dealing with the problem. Research article by Taveras et al (2010) that deals with the risk factors associated with obesity in Hispanic children, which was found to be relevant in this context, is reviewed and discussed in detail.
Health policy issue that addresses Hispanic population
The policy issue in the article that concerns the Hispanic population is obesity in children and its racial or ethnic linkages. The existing healthcare policies in the US which were devised with the aim to reduce and prevent childhood obesity is found to be capable of dealing mainly with the obese problems of children above 3 years of age, but quite inept at dealing with the issues of children below this age (Taveras et al, 2010). Taveras et al (2010) have pointed out that there exists lot of risks factors during the gestation and infant stages that might lead to childhood obesity especially among Hispanic children. So there is need for conducting more investigations at these levels and changes in the healthcare policies has to be made for dealing with obese problems, particularly during the early childhood and gestation periods, as rightly pointed out by Taveras et al (2010) in the article.
Discussion on the research study
Problem: The extent of racial or ethnic differences that exist with regard to childhood obesity in the Hispanic population is the main problem that is discussed in the article. Elements of risks associated with childhood obesity might vary depending on racial and ethnic diversities and its impacts on the early developmental stages and at infancy is explored.
Purpose of the study: The main aim of the article is to evaluate the racial or ethnic disparities in the risk factors that existed during the early developmental stages with regard to childhood obesity. Most of the previous studies were mainly focussed on the racial and ethnic differences that existed during childhood and it was noticed that diversity with regard to obesity do occur at this stage (Dixon, Pena & Taveras, 2012). At childhood, obesity already occur and the real clues to preventing obesity probably depend on understanding its origin and risk factors during the early developmental and infant stages and its association to racial and ethnic differences. So an understanding on the risk factors associated with early developmental stages and infancy will provide more insights on the origin and occurrence of obesity in Hispanic children, which is imperative for adopting appropriate measures for preventing or reducing childhood obesity and hence such a study was conducted.
Literature review summary
Obesity forms a major healthcare issue and to gain knowledge on the various risk elements that have an impact on the occurrence of the ailment appear to be imperative, especially with regard to reducing or preventing obesity. Researchers like Gillman et al (2008); Dixon, Pena & Taveras, (2012) and others have identified different factors that influence the occurrence of obesity during childhood. Most of the studies were focussed on the risk elements during the childhood years. Dixon, Pena & Taveras, (2012); Martinson, McLanahan & Brooks – Gunn (2012) and others have noticed that racial and ethnic disparities are prevalent in the occurrence of obesity and hence the risk factors also could vary accordingly. Though the influence on obese problems right from early developmental stages and infancy stages were known, only very few researchers attempted to investigate on the racial and ethnic diversity in the risk factors during the early developmental stages through infancy. Hence the research study was conducted for reducing the lacuna that existed in this regard.
Research Methodology: Both qualitative and quantitative methods were used for the study. Primary and secondary data were collected for the study. Primary data was collected using questionnaires that was administered to the mother during five different periods; that includes, the first trimester, the second trimester, soon after delivery; and when the infants were 3 months and 6 months of age. Extensive literature survey was conducted for collecting secondary data which was useful for making substantiations. Statistical techniques were used for data analysis.
Brief review of the study results: In agreement with the previous studies, the study by Taveras et al (2010) indicated that there are clear cut evidences that point towards ethnic and racial disparities in the risk factors associated with obesity. In addition to that, this study also revealed that there appear “racial and ethnic differences in many early-life risk factors for childhood obesity” (Taveras et al, 2010, p. 691). The object of diversity is believed to occur during the gestation periods and infant stages. The various risk factors that is associated with childhood obesity in the Hispanic population is found to be dependent on the mother’s physical, nutritional and mental status; nutritional, physical, and feeding activities of the child during the early childhood years. Maternal diabetes, depression of mother during pregnancy, shorter duration of breast feeding, feeding irregularities and physical inactivity among infants appear to be the major risks factors associated with childhood obesity in the Hispanic population. Adequate health care policies that are aimed at dealing with the issues of early developmental stages of the child might prove effective in reducing and preventing the occurrence of obesity among children.
References
Taveras, E. M., Gillman, M. W., Kleinman, K., Rich-Edwards, J. W. & Rifas-Shiman, S. L. (2010). Racial/Ethnic Differences in Early-Life Risk Factors for Childhood Obesity. Pediatrics, 125 (4): 686 – 695. Retrieved October 7, 2013, from http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/125/4/686.full.pdf
Dixon, B. Pena, M. M. & Taveras, E. M. (2012). Lifecourse approach to racial/ethnic disparities in childhood obesity. Advances in Nutrition, 3: 73 – 82. Retrieved October 8, 2013, from http://advances.nutrition.org/content/3/1/73.full.pdf
Gillman, M. W., Rifas-Shiman, S. L., Kleinman, K., Oken, E., Rich-Edwards, J. W., Taveras, E. M (2008). Developmental origins of childhood overweight: potential public health impact.
Obesity (Silver Spring), 16 (7): 1651–1656. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2650814/
Martinson, M. L., McLanahan, S. & Brooks – Gunn, J. (2012). Race / ethnic and nativity disparities in child overweight in the United States and England. Ann Am Acad Pol Soc Sci., 643(1): 219–238. Retrieved October 9, 2013, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3637954/
