Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample

Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample

Overweight 5-year-old black boy with overweight parents who work full-time and the boy spends his time after school with his grandmother.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the case you were assigned.

Being overweight is a precursor to obesity. Being overweight, like obesity, puts you at risk for adverse health conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, asthma, diabetes, heart disease, gallstones, liver problems, and trouble sleeping (Ball et al., 2019). Unfortunately, obesity has been more prevalent in the United States in recent years, with 17 percent of children and teenagers aged between 2 and 19 years being obese. According to Tran et al. (2016), most overweight children become obese when they transition into adulthood.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Describe additional information you would need to assess his or her weight-related health further.

Since the child and parents are overweight, it is necessary to assess the family for causes such as behavior and genetics. Parental feeding habits, infant dietary consumption, home health climate, physical exercise, the period of watching TV, time spent playing outside, the child’s eating characteristics, and other exposures must all be assessed. I would also evaluate additional factors in the society, such as food and physical environment, education and skills, and food marketing and promotion activities (Hales et al., 2017).(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Information on the home health environment would reveal whether the child has access to a healthy snack or play toys (Fuemmeler et al., 2015). Equally, information on parental behavior would reveal behaviors, e.g., watching TV, consuming more fat or sugary foods. Additional information on child behaviors would reveal their TV watching pattern and time spent playing outdoors (Fuemmeler et al., 2015). Eating characteristics and dietary intake will indicate their energy/fat intake, servings of sweetened/sugary drinks, and avidity towards food or responsiveness to satiety cues. Other pertinent data include parental age, marital status, education level, income, and the gender and ethnicity of the child (Mech et al., 2016).  Likewise, the previous and present weight, height, and gestational weeks are also factors to consider.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a complete understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could sensitively gather this information.

Childhood overweight and obesity can cause high blood pressure and cholesterol, which are immediate health risks associated with cardiovascular diseases and breathing complications (Tran et al., 2016; CDC, 2020). When the weight and body composition are out of balance, they provide information on a person’s health condition and hint at an underlying condition (Ball et al., 2019). Significant tests such as weight, height, BMI, waist circumference, cholesterol, and blood sugar tests can reveal more information on the child’s health status. When taking blood pressure, it is crucial to make the child calm and still. This can be made possible by encouraging the child to drink from a bottle or hold the blood pressure cuff to make them feel secure.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Changes in a person’s waist circumference over time, whether or not their BMI changes, may help determine relative disease danger (Ball et al., 2019). Besides, nutritional assessment can be done using nutrition screening forms of web-based tools to establish the child’s consumption of sugary and fatty dies associated with high HBP and cholesterol. Information on diet history, recent weight changes, nutrient intake, and medication use informs the nutritional assessment.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

As healthcare personnel, social and cultural sensitivities influence client’s responses to physical examination (Dabney et al., 2016). In instances that involve removing the child’s clothing, the parents can be asked to assist in avoiding anxiety. In this case, I will ask the child’s parents the following questions: Does your child exhibit avidity for sugary/fatty foods? Does the child have access to healthy snacks or play toys in the house? Does your child play outdoors with a friend or engage in any other outdoor or indoor physical activity? How long does your child spend watching TV during the weekdays and weekends? These questions will help reveal the child has a passive or active lifestyle or consumes a healthy diet. Other significant information that can be asked about the child includes the previous weight, the family history regarding overweight and obesity, and whether the child exhibits low self-esteem or depression.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Strategies to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.

Healthy eating habit is the most crucial strategy for parents to help their children achieve a healthy body and weight. Other strategies include progressive physical activity and reducing sedentary activities (Duncanson et al., 2021). A healthy eating pattern would limit the amount of sugar and fat accumulation in the body (U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS), 2020). Physical activity will enable the body system to burn accumulated fat while reducing sedentary life can increase insulin absorption (HHS, 2018).   The child should be exposed to at least 60 minutes of physical activity daily (Hales et al., 2017).(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

A weight-maintenance regimen will also reduce weight gain and encourage the child to gain height, resulting in a lower BMI and a return to a healthy range (Duncanson et al., 2021). Parents should emphasize low-sugar, low-fat, and low-calorie fruits and vegetables; restrict sweetened beverages; minimize fast food, and serve proportional servings. In terms of physical activity and reduction in a sedentary life, the parents should increase the child’s activity level by limiting TV time and emphasizing outdoor activities such as hide and seek, taking evening/weekend walks, and riding bicycles. (Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

References

Ball, J. W., Dains, J. E., Flynn, J. A., Solomon, B. S., & Stewart, R. W. (2019). Seidel’s guide to physical examination: An interprofessional approach (9th ed.). St. Louis, MO: Elsevier Mosby.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Center for Disease Prevention and Control. (2020). Childhood Obesity Causes & Consequences. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/childhood/causes.html [Accessed 17 March 2021](Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)

Dabney, K., McClarin, L., Romano, E., Fitzgerald, D., Bayne, L., Oceanic, P., … & Holmes, L. (2016). Cultural competence in pediatrics: Health care provider knowledge, awareness, and skills. International journal of environmental research and public health, 13(1), 14. https://doi.10.3390/ijerph13010014 

Duncanson, K., Shrewsbury, V., Burrows, T., Chai, L. K., Ashton, L., Taylor, R., … & Collins, C. E. (2021). Impact of weight management nutrition interventions on dietary outcomes in children and adolescents with overweight or obesity: a systematic review with meta‐analysis. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics, 34(1), 147-177.(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample) https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12831

Fuemmeler, B. F., Stroo, M., Lee, C. T., Bazemore, S., Blocker, B., & Østbye, T. (2015). Racial differences in obesity-related risk factors between 2-year-old children born of overweight mothers. Journal of pediatric psychology, 40(7), 649-656. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsv023

Hales, C. M., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Ogden, C. L. (2017). Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: the United States, 2015–2016. Retrieved 17 March 2021, from(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample) https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db288.pdf

Mech, P., Hooley, M., Skouteris, H., & Williams, J. (2016). Parent-related mechanisms underlying the social gradient of childhood overweight and obesity: a systematic review. Child: Care, Health and Development, 42(5), 603–624. doi:10.1111/cch.12356(Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample) 

Tran, M. K., Krueger, P. M., McCormick, E., Davidson, A., & Main, D. S. (2016). Body mass transitions through childhood and early adolescence: a multistate life table approach. American journal of epidemiology, 183(7), 643-649. (Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)0.1093/aje/kwv233

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). (2018). Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans [Ebook] (2nd ed.). Retrieved 17 March 2021, from https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf. 

U.S. Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and Health and Human Services (HHS). (2020). Dietary Guidelines for America 2020 – 2025: Make Every Bite Count With the Dietary Guidelines [Ebook] (9^th ed.). Retrieved 17 March 2021, from (Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children Comprehensive Nursing Paper Sample)https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf