#1
Hi Everyone,
A health topic and objective I found from Healthy People 2030 related to children and adolescents is “Child and Adolescent Development,” with the objective “Increase the proportion of children and adolescents who receive care in a medical home-MICH-19 (Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion [ODPHP], n.d.).” A medical home is a quality, comprehensive, patient-centered care involving the primary care team that facilitates specialty services, labs, pharmacy, educational services, etc., so the child and/or adolescent receive preventative care and better health outcomes (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2024). In viewing this topic and objective, there has been a decrease in children and adolescents receiving care in a medical home, which means preventative care needs are not being met, leading to worse health outcomes.
Education is key in the healthcare system, especially regarding preventative measures and treatment. Educating a person actively engages them to participate in preventing and managing their illness (Stenberg et al., 2019). When educating, the healthcare provider must understand the patient’s health literacy. Children, adolescents, and adults will vary on how health education is given based on age, education level, disabilities, etc. A young child must be educated on appropriate health concerns for their age and may have to use drawings/pictures, games, and simple words to understand. An adolescent may be educated by using technology, more detailed explanations, still using simple terms that are more age-appropriate, and still making sure education is based on their age level needs such as body image, puberty, peer pressure, etc. Adults can be given more in-depth explanations, but these are usually based on their chronic/acute issues at that moment and time, making their care more personalized to fit their particular needs. As life changes, so do health promotion needs. Due to environmental factors, biological/chemical factors, different stages of life, etc., health promotion must align with the changing lifestyles for preventative, treatment, and healthcare maintenance due to those life factors.
#2
Obesity is a huge problem here in the United States, and many times it starts with very young children by parents allowing them to eat anything and as much as they want, and sitting them in front of a television or a tablet. According to Healthy People 2030, 1 in 5 child in the United States is obese. Lack of exercise and overeating lead to obesity which is a major health concern because it’s associated with cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension, some cancers, high cholesterol, depression, and low self esteem, among others.
Healthy People 2030 focuses on helping people eat healthy and exercise to promote a healthy weight. When educating children and adolescents about obesity and how to prevent it, it is essential to consider the child’s age and educate them according to their developmental stage. For young children, education through play is very effective, involve children in cooking and grocery shopping, you can make a game out of it. Use colorful charts, teach them about healthy foods by using game cards. Take children to the park or play family games intead of sitting them in front of the television or tablet. For adolescents, since they are easily influenced by their peers, social media and group activities may be more helpful. Encourage them to bring lunch from home instead of eating cafeteria food.
For adults, talking to a nutritionist and setting up goals, using a more direct approach with clear expectations. Adults might have some health behaviors that need to change, making it harder to achieve their ideal weight.
During childhood and adolescence, we need to focus more on ways to prevent health problems by learning about nutrious foods, exercises to keep us active, and avoiding bad habits like vaping, drinking, or doing drugs. As we age, we need to be even more conciencious about our weight, the older we are, the harder it is to loose weight, especially for women in menopause. At this point we are looking at ways to prevent chronic diseases by taking care of our bodies and mind.