Health promotion perspective

1. OBESITY IN CHILDREN
IN TRINIDAD
Presented by:
Anuradha Boodoo-Balliram
Natherly Ferguson
Shomuela Griffith
Terry Lawrence

2. WHAT IS OBESITY?
•Overweight and Obesity are defined as
abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may
impair health. (WHO, 2013)
•Obesity is a medical condition in which excess
body fat has accumulated to the extent that it
may have an adverse effect on health, leading to
reduced life expectancy and/ or increased health
problems.

3. WHAT IS CHILDHOOD OBESITY?
•Childhood obesity is a serious medical
condition
that
affects
children
and
adolescents. It occurs when a child is well
above the normal weight for his or her age
and height

4. STATISTICS (children ages 3-12)
•In Trinidad and Tobago, research has shown that a
quarter (25%) of school-aged children (5 – 18years) is
overweight or obese.
•One in four children is overweight. One third of our
children so far have a cholesterol level over 200.(WHO
2013)
•This country is the fifth fattest nation in the world,
according to a recent report from the Food and
Agriculture Organisation (FAO).

5. •According to the World Health Organisation (WHO)
2010 figures, about 43 million children under age five are
overweight.
•According to research done in 2009/2011 by the
Caribbean Food and Nutrition Institute
•23% of primary school children in Trinidad and
Tobago were overweight/obese
•25% of students
overweight/obese
at
secondary
school
were
•14% of the children in secondary schools had been
underweight.
•In the last ten years in this country, obesity levels
have tripled.

6. DETERMINANTS
•Lifestyle
•Working moms
•Availability of fast food
•Technology

7. Determinants
•Genetics
•Inherited genes
•Hormonal causes

8. Determinants
•Importation of Culture
•Foreign cable advertisements
and T.V shows

9. EFFECTS OF CHILDHOOD
OBESITY
•Physiological: ( Type II diabetes, high
blood pressure, sleep apnea…)
•Psychological: (low self-esteem, social
discrimination…)

10. PRIMARY PREVENTION
METHODS

11. Primary prevention is an action designed to
prevent/reduce
probability
of
disease
occurring.
Methods:
• Teaching:
Nurses
should
educate
parents, children on healthy life styles.
• Physical education : enforced in schools.
“School children stay inside and play games
instead of participating in P.E activities.”
(Fuad Khan,2011)

12. Practice Recommendations
Nurses promote healthy eating and physical
activity throughout the lifecycle but beginning
at an early age by educating parents
, importantly if parents are obese putting
emphasis on Childhood obesity, associated
health risks, ( chronic and acute) risk and
protective factors

13. Nurses promote healthy eating using Food
Guide to Healthy Eating and focus on:
•Using age-appropriate portion sizes;
•Emphasizing fruits and vegetables;
•Limiting sugar containing beverages
(e.g., soft drinks and fruit juices);
•Limiting consumption of energy-dense
snack foods high in sugar and fat (e.g.
potato chips,
french fries, candy)
•Breakfast consumption

14. Nurses promote increased physical activity
based on Guides for Children and Youth using
interventions with one or more of the
following components:
•Behaviour modification.
•
•Leisure activity of low intensity that is
gradually increased to recommended levels.
•Sustained, repeated interventions.

15. Nurses promote a decrease in sedentary
activities with emphasis on reducing the
amount of time clients spend watching
TV, playing video games, and engaging in
recreational computer use.

16. Secondary
Prevention Methods

17. Secondary prevention aims to halt or slow the
progress of disease (if possible) in its earliest
stages.
Methods:
• Height/Weight
(BMI),
Blood
Sugar, Cholesterol and Blood Pressure
screening for children –
(available at
Community health Center).
• Children at
Childhood Healthy Lifestyle
Clinic
(Wendy Fitzwilliams Paediatric
Hospital) screened.

18. Practice Reommendations
Nurses work with school communities to
implement school-based strategies for the
prevention of obesity using a multi-component
approach including:
•Integrating healthy lifestyle messages into
curriculum
•Advocating
for
and
supporting
implementation of quality daily physical
•Education taught
education teachers;
by
specialist
the
physical

19. • Advocating
for
and
supporting
the
implementation of quality daily physical
activity (including vigorous physical activity)
• Using youth driven approaches with
information and advocacy component.
an
• Offering healthy choices in cafeterias and
vending machines;
• Increasing physical activity opportunities at
recess and during lunch breaks
• Forming
community
coalitions.
partnerships
and

20. •Nurses support a family-centred approach
to promote healthy eating and physical
activity.
•Nurses assess physical growth and
development of children and adolescents
which includes:
•Discussing and documenting basic dietary
patterns
•Discussing and documenting physical
activity patterns including sedentary
activity (e.g., television and computer time)

21. •Identifying individual and
factors for childhood obesity
family
risk
•Accurately measuring and recording height
and weight
•Calculating Body Mass Index (BMI) for
children two years of age and older

22. TERTIARY PREVENTION METHODS
Tertiary prevention aims to prevent further
physical deterioration and maximize quality of
life.
Methods:
• The Ministry of Health conducted a Childhood
Healthy Lifestyle Camp, 'The Wee Fit Camp' at
Mount Hope Hospital.

23. About The WEE FIT CAMP
• Participants in the Wee Fit Camp are currently
enrolled in the Childhood Healthy Lifestyle
Clinic at the Wendy Fitzwilliams Paediatric
Hospital.
• Camp held for (50) children aged 7-12 years
old from primary schools in St. George East
County.
• Children are screened and assessed as
overweight or obese by school nurses of the St.
George East County

24. WeeFit Camp is geared towards promoting
healthy lifestyles . The objectives of the camp
were:
•
Promote healthy nutrition by focusing on
making healthy food choices, using correct portion
sizes, and eating fruit and vegetables daily.
•
Promote active lifestyles through the use of
fun, and physical activities.
•
Promote and improve self confidence and
self esteem in the children.