Running head: CAPSTONE MODULE 2 1

Target Population: Module 2 Case

DJuan Steen
Trident University
August 3, 2014
CAPSTONE MODULE 2 2
Target Population: Module 2 Case
Obesity itself is a problem among both adults and children in the United States. There are
strong case studies and research that tie in psychological and behavioral aspects to coincide with
obesity and the lifestyles that contribute to this global epidemic. The research intended in this
project is to show the relationship between role-modeled behaviors along with positive
reinforcement as a stimulus to allow children with risk factors for obesity or who suffer from it to
engage in a healthier lifestyle based on the Action Schools program and to maintain these
lifestyle changes for 5 or more years. The case study will be focus more on children who a
psychosocial profile angled to low self-esteem and a lack of family support. The hypothesis has
been established regarding the effect that the positive reinforcement and role-modeling would
have on the test subjects. The next step in the research process is to establish the target
population for the study.
Defined Target Population
Childhood obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in
the past 30 years (National Center for Health Statistics, 2013). The percentage of children in the
U.S. aged 6 -11 years who were overweight increased from 7% in 1980 to almost 18% in 2012,
and in conjunction to this the percentage of adolescents aged 12-19 years increased from 5% to
nearly 21% over the same period (National Center for Health Statistics, 2013). From a general
perspective this places more than one-third of all children in the U.S. as overweight. Based on
the focus of the study being created from a program established in schools, the age demographic
that will be the basis of this study will be ages 6 -11. I believe that these ages are crucial in the
establishment of lifestyle habits that carry over into preteen and teenage life. At that point, any
habits have developed effects in health, weight etc. 2010 statistics showed that in this age group
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approximately 5 million girls and about 7 million boys were obese (Ogden, 2012). The
differential shows a disparity of about 35% more boys than girls in this demographic are
impacted. Based on this, we will focus on the gender demographic of males. The prevalence of
childhood obesity among African Americans, Mexican Americans, and Native Americans
exceeds that of other ethnic groups. The Centers for Disease Control reported that in 2000 the
prevalence of obesity was 19% of non-Hispanic black children and 20% of Mexican American
children, compared with 11% of non-Hispanic white children. The increase since 1980 is
particularly evident among non-Hispanic black and Mexican American adolescents (Sonia,
2014). This in turn raises the following questions: How might socioeconomic factors influence
racial/ethnic differences in childhood obesity? What are the biological and cultural factors
associated with racial/ethnic differences in childhood obesity? What are the implications of
race/ethnicity on the prevention of childhood obesity? What are the implications of race/ethnicity
on the treatment of childhood obesity? For the purpose of the study will examine the ethnicities
of African American and Hispanic race. In particular to these questions, socioeconomic factors
are likely to exert a profound influence on health, although there are conflicting points of view
on their link to childhood obesity. Data on household SES are often limited to self-reported
parental education and income levels. Percent poverty and poverty-to-income ratios have also
been used to stratify survey participants by income groups. These twin indexes of parental
education and household income levels, however, fail to fully convey the complexities of SES
and social class. One definition of social stratification is unequal distribution of privileges among
population subgroups. The focus on current incomes can mask major underlying disparities in
material resources (e.g., car, house) and accumulated wealth. Access to resources and services
may not be equivalent for a given level of education or income. Neighborhood of residence may
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influence access to healthy foods, opportunities for physical activity, the quality of local schools,
time allocation, and commuting time. While the program of Action Schools is a free program,
other factors of socioeconomic status among the study group may contribute to self-esteem.
Considering one of the key elements of the study is the psychosocial profile of the child group,
we will also consider the mid-low to lower class socioeconomic group to access accurate levels
of those with lower self-esteem and family support under the assumption that this group would
have a larger sample size to analyze.

Cultural Appropriation
I believe that this program is culturally appropriate for the identified study group for the research
as Biological factors may, in part, mediate racial/ethnic and SES differences in childhood obesity.
For example, low SES or discrimination by race or ethnicity may result in increased stress. Stress
has a direct effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, resulting in elevation of plasma
cortisol, which has been implicated in the development of obesity. The relationships between
stress and illness differ markedly by race/ethnicity, in part due to differences in exposure to
social and environmental stressors; the degree to which the environment, SES, and
discrimination are appraised as stressful; culturally appropriate strategies for coping with stress;
biological vulnerability to stress; and the expression of stress as illness. While these relationships
are plausible, they are not fully understood. The program does not in any way create a bias or a
partiality that would affect the study in the aspect of dependent or independent variables. The
program is not in any way made inaccessible to the proposed test groups based on finance, race,
gender or any of the other factors. These issues would prevent objective observation. The group
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also represents the greatest means to test the hypothesis as they are the statistically greatest
affected as well as the greatest potential to be impacted over the time frame of observation.
Improving Appeal. Cultural variation in the population is maintained by migration of
new groups, residential segregation of groups defined by their culture and ethnicity, the
maintenance of language of origin by the first and, to a lesser degree, the second generation of
immigrants, and the existence of formal social organizations (religious institutions, clubs,
community or family-based associations). In contrast, globalization and acculturation
simultaneously promote cultural change and cultural homogeneity. Globalization, a social
process in which the constraints of geography on social and cultural arrangements recede, can
affect obesity through the promotion of travel (e.g., migration of populations from low-income to
high-income countries), trade (e.g., production and distribution of high-fat, energy-dense food
and flow of investment in food processing and retailing across borders), communication
(promotional food marketing), the increased gap between rich and poor, and the epidemiologic
transition in global burden of disease. Acculturation (changes of original cultural patterns of one
or more groups when they come into continuous contact with one another) can affect obesity by
encouraging the abandonment of traditional beliefs and behaviors that minimize the risk of
overweight and the adoption of beliefs and behaviors that increase the risk of overweight. With
both acculturation and globalization there are changes in preferences for certain foods and forms
of leisure/physical activity, as well as educational and economic opportunities. These changes
may differ by ethnic groups. For instance, first-generation Asian and Latino adolescents have
been found to have higher fruit and vegetable consumption and lower soda consumption than
whites. With succeeding generations, the intake of these items by Asians remains stable. In
contrast, fruit and vegetable consumption by Latinos decreases while their soda consumption
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increases, so that by the third generation their nutrition is poorer than that of whites.
Acculturation to the U.S. is also significantly associated with lower frequency of physical
activity participation in 7th-grade Latino and Asian American adolescents. Appeal is therefore
controlled by tying in social aspects that are relatable to the targeted groups.
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References
National Center for Health Statistics. (2013). Adolescent and School Health. Retrieved from
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
http://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/obesity/facts.htm
Ogden, C. L. (2012). Prevalence of Obesity in the United States, 20092010. Hyattsville: NCHS.
Sonia, C. (2014). Influence of Race, Ethnicity, and Culture on Childhood Obesity: Implications
for Prevention and Treatment: A consensus statement of Shaping America's Health and
the Obesity Society. Retrieved from American Diabetes Association:
http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/31/11/2211.long