Assessment Description

For the middle-aged adult, exercise can reduce the risk of various health problems. Choose two at-risk health issues that regular physical exercise and activity can help prevent and manage. Discuss the prevalence of each of these health problems in society today. Describe measures that you would take as a nurse to assist patients with health promotion measures to incorporate exercise and physical activity into their lives. Include the kind of activities you would recommend, the amount of exercise, and the approach you would use to gain cooperation from the patient. Support your response with evidence-based literature.

Health Assessment of the Young and Middle-Aged Adult-Sample Solution

Identify Two Risk Factors

Physical activity (PA) has immense benefits for the body and mind. In this case, incorporating exercise and physical activity into an individual lifestyle reduces the risks of chronic illness. Furthermore, it serves as primary disease prevention, thus improving the quality of life and life expectancy. In addition, regular physical activity is instrumental in preventing high blood sugar and cholesterols levels. High cholesterol levels range from 200g/dl and may cause heart disease. The most common type is atherosclerosis, which results from a build-up of fat and cholesterol on arterial walls, increasing the risk of cardiac diseases and stroke. Subsequently, blood sugar levels of 110-125g/dl indicate one is pre-diabetes, while 126g/dl or higher confirms diabetes.(Health Promotion Measures Essay-Example)

Prevalence of Each Health Problem

MacDonald (2022) used data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) 2013–2018 to study the high prevalence of hypercholesterolemia in the US. The study revealed that individuals aged 40-59 years had a prevalence of 15.1%, those aged 20-39 had 7.5%, and those aged 60- and above had an 11.7% prevalence. Moreover, women (12%) had more than 200g/dl serum cholesterol levels than men (10.4%). The research shows that high cholesterol levels are prevalent across all age groups and genders, with high numbers among middles aged individuals (20-39 years).(Health Promotion Measures Essay-Example)

Consequently, Davidson et al. (2021) assert that the 2020 National Diabetes Statistics Report claims that about 13% of Americans (18 years and above) have diabetes, while 34.5% meet the criteria for diabetes. Notably, high blood sugar and cholesterol levels continue to rise across the globe leading to poor health outcomes. However, proper nutritional and physical activity remains instrumental in curbing health problems. Physical activity triggers enzymatic activity that moves the Lower Density of Lipoproteins (LDLs) from the blood vessels to the liver for breakdown. Physical activity also increases allows working muscles to take more glucose from the body for energy and increases, thus lowering blood sugar levels.(Health Promotion Measures Essay-Example)

Health Promotion Measures

My exercise prescription will vary depending on the patient’s age and as stipulated by WHO guidelines for physical activity. For example, patients aged 5 -17 engage in PA  about 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous intensity, while those aged 18 -64 years will exercise for 150 -300 minutes three times a week (WHO, 2023). I will also include aerobic activities such as jogging for 20 minutes and strengthening exercises in my program. Patients above 65 years will walk for approximately 150 minutes three times weekly to burn excessive fats.(Health Promotion Measures Essay-Example)

Additionally, I will organize community education programs and campaigns that teach community members about physical activity and its significance. For example, I will educate people about regular health screening to identify high blood sugar and cholesterol levels. I will also organize community-building and sporting activities such as marathons and walking initiatives to support those affected by heart diseases and diabetes while improving the exercise level of healthy individuals. Moreover, I will integrate my exercise programs with the patients’ Activities of Daily Living (ADLs), such as housing and use of stairs, to promote their compliance. Lastly, I will make my intervention programs as simple as possible using readily available items to increase physical activity, such as chair-based exercises.(Health Promotion Measures Essay-Example)

References

Davidson, K. W., Barry, M. J., Mangione, C. M., Cabana, M., Caughey, A. B., Davis, E. M., … & US Preventive Services Task Force. (2021). Screening for pre-diabetes and type 2 diabetes: US Preventive Services Task Force recommendation statement. Jama, 326(8), 736-743.

MacDonald, T. (2022). Prevalence of High Cholesterol Among the Adult US Population: NHANES 2013–2018. Current Developments in Nutrition, 6(Supplement_1), 925-925.

The World Health Organisation (2023). Physical Activity. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/physical-activity