Abstract
This paper is a research proposal comparing childhood obesity in the United States of America and Saudi Arabia. The paper starts by defining the purpose statement of the research: to establish the rate of obesity between the US and Saudi Arabia, the causes, and how to overcome it. Then there is the description of the rationale followed by the literature review. The methodology used in data collection is described, and finally, the expected outcome and their implications on the study and the children population at large.
Rational
The reason for doing the project is to establish the rate of obesity amongst children in the US and Saudi Arabia. This has since become one of the growing problems that have affected young people regarding their lifestyle, health, and general social behavior. The research will evaluate the causes of obesity and what should be done to prevent its effects on children. The rationale of this study is to assert the fact that obese children have social problems. Studies of overweight and obesity have not been done adequately, especially in young people. Studies on the current change occurring amongst overweight and obese children over time are also lacking, hence the need for the research.
Problem statement
The project aims to survey the prevalence of obesity and the intervention strategies for preventing the disease in children. Children will be considered a priority because while 50% of the adults are overweight in many countries, it is difficult to control the problem once one is in the maturity stage. The question this research will answer is on how to deal with obesity in children and the necessary preventive measures.
Literature review
Obesity is a global problem due to the increase in junk food; luxury devises easy means of transport and stationary jobs. The world health organization predicts that there will be over 2.3 billion overweight adults by 2015, and more than 700 million of them will be obese. In developed countries, childhood obesity has reached alarming levels (Dehghan, 2008).
The trend of obesity has been discovered to cut across the whole population and affect people of all ages. It has been found to have adverse effects on the health of children and is prevalent in developing countries as well as developed countries (Van, 1985). There are several other diseases associated with obesity, which include pediatric hypertension and other chronic diseases. According to Al-Hazmi and Warsy (1999), the improvement in economic development has brought about a change in the eating habits of Saudi Arabians.
This has mostly affected the children, with statistics showing that 27.5% of overweight children are boys, and 28% are girls. This was an estimate conducted on children between ages 6 and 19 in a survey back in 1996 (Al-Nuaim, Bamgboye, Al-Herbish, 1996; Abahussain, 1999).
Studies have further revealed that almost 25% of the United States children are above normal weight. A good percentage of these children suffer from obesity, which has adverse effects on their social lifestyles. Certain factors contribute to this disorder, most of which are environmental and cultural. The increase in the number of obese children in the US can also be attributed to poor lifestyles leading to a poor choice of food; a high intake of sugary foodstuff is also one of the contributing factors. This eventually causes the accumulation of fats within the body, which sometimes leads to overweight (Abalkhail, 2002; Ghabrah, 1997).
The level of obesity in most countries, including the US, is on the increasing trend. The causes of the disease are almost similar in these countries due to some reasons. Research has revealed that most children in the US are exposed to the consumption of dairy products and carbonated drinks. This leads to the accumulation of sugar and fats within the body, which causes obesity, especially when they are not exposed to vigorous physical exercises. This is also reflected in the Saudi Arabia study, which revealed the same results as a lack of physical activities amongst the children. The children are not exposed to walking long distances since they mostly use family cars and, at the same time, spend a lot of time watching television, playing electronic games, and using computers for a longer time (Abalkhail, 2002; Kuczmarski and Flegal, 2000).
Methodology
In this research, both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies will be applied. Several methods will be used in qualitative research to gather data; these include case studies, personal experiences amongst the sampled children and their parents, and interviews. Some data will be gathered through historical data and observation. These will help in exploring issues associated with obesity and answer some questions about the phenomenon. The main aim of qualitative research is to measure the degree of socialization amongst obese children and how to control obesity (Yin, 1994). Quantitative research will be used, whereby analysis will be based on questionnaires, surveys, and experiments.
Stratified random sampling will be used, where children will be surveyed from different schools. Each educational level will be considered depending on the class of the population of the selected region. The required number of children will then be collected from each region, after which one group from each level will be chosen at random until the required sample size is full. Each sample will strictly consider children of either Saudi Arabia or United States origin (Chabra et al., 1997).
The data will be collected through interviews by nurses from medical institutions that will use structured questionnaires. The weight of the children and the height will be measured using a tape measure, after which the body mass index will be calculated (Must, Dallal, Dietz, 1991). Data entry and analysis will be done using the SPSS, version 12.
Possible outcomes and Implications
The results are expected to reflect a decrease in weight as age increases for both boys and girls. The height is not expected to change much. However, the dominance of obesity was predicted to pose some negative experiences within society. The implications of these results will be to reveal the recommended time when treatment for obesity should be administered. The childhood period seems to be the most preferred time since weight loss in the adult stage sometimes seems difficult to administer.
There are also many options available for children interventions as compared to adults’. The schools can be used as the primary base where a child’s lifestyle should be molded. This may involve exposure to the right kind of diet and vigorous physical exercises. Reduction of obesity in adults seems difficult since it is considered already established, and this provides a good reason as to why obesity should be checked at an early stage of life (Abalkhail, 2002).
Reference
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