NURS 6512 Week 3 Assignment – Assessment Tools And Diagnostic Tests In Adults And Children Essay
NURS 6512 Week 3 Assignment – Assessment Tools And Diagnostic Tests In Adults And Children Essay
Assessment Tools and Diagnostic Tests in Children
Severe childhood underweight is a significant form of undernutrition and is a primary indicator of malnutrition in children. Acquah et al. (2019) argue that being underweight is a risk factor for multiple health complications, including mental and behavioral disorders and a high risk of infections. According to the World Health Organization [WHO] (2021), malnutrition is the leading cause of childhood mortality, accounting for approximately 45% of deaths annually. Besides inflicting a massive health burden, malnutrition can result in adverse effects on children’s social progression, including low educational attainment (Acquah et al., 2019). Amid the significant challenges posed by severe underweight and other primary predictors of malnutrition in children, it is essential to assess risk factors relevant to this health concern. Consequently, this paper elaborates on risk factors for underweight, additional information needed when assessing children with malnutrition, potential specific questions for gathering more information regarding individual predisposition to malnutrition, and strategies to encourage parents/caregivers to proactively engage their children’s health and weight management interventions.
Health Issues and Risks Relevant to the Child
The case study entails a 5-year-old severely underweight male who lives with his adopted mother and father who both have normal weight. Based on the case study, it is essential to identify underweight as the primary health issue exacerbated by various identifiable and underlying risk factors. Severe underweight is a primary indicator of micronutrient-related malnutrition. The World Health Organization (2021) states that micronutrients like vitamins and minerals are essential in multiple body functions, including enzyme and hormone production. These functions of micronutrients significantly impact growth and development (World Health Organization, 2021). As a result, inadequate vitamin and mineral intake can result in underweight and other associated health issues, including high susceptibility to infections, delayed puberty onset, and mental and behavioral disorders.
Malnutrition is a multifactorial health concern prevailing due to the interplay between social determinants of health and other contributing factors. For Instance, family income status, food insecurity (limited access to healthy foods), poor exclusive breastfeeding, low parental educational attainment, low birth weight, and limited knowledge and awareness of healthy diet can contribute to severe underweight in children (Kumar et al., 2019; Dipasquale, Cucinotta & Romano, 2020). Other risk factors for malnutrition in children include underlying chronic conditions like renal failure, malignancies, congenital heart disease, and chronic liver diseases (Dipasquale, Cucinotta & Romano, 2020; Ball et al., 2019). Finally, the child’s immunization status and genetics can contribute to severe underweight. A comprehensive assessment is crucial in identifying underlying issues that contribute to the condition.
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Additional Information Needed for Further Assessment
The case study provides limited information regarding the child’s condition. In this case, it only states that the child is living with his adopted mother and father with normal weight. Therefore, additional information is necessary to reveal actual risk factors and inform responsive interventions. Mayo Clinic (2022) states that the recommended diagnoses for weight-related health issues like overweight and underweight include calculating children’s body mass index (BMI) and assessing the patient’s psychosocial history, including sleeping disturbances, sadness, and depressive episodes. Other mechanisms of identifying risk factors for underweight children include assessing their eating habits, family history of weight-related health concerns like diabetes, and physical activity levels (children struggling with obesity and overweight) (Mayo Clinic, 2022). Also, it is crucial to assess the child’s developmental milestones and the history of medication use to establish their linkage with underweight (Ball et al., 2019). Healthcare professionals can obtain information regarding these aspects by applying various assessment instruments and engaging parents/caregivers.
Calculating the child’s body mass index, waist circumference and waist-height ratio, and standing height are ideal growth assessment instruments (Ball et al., 2019). Healthcare professionals should engage his parents by providing linguistically appropriate and culturally responsive questionnaires and assessment scales to obtain information regarding the family’s nutritional status, history of weight-related health concerns, economic status, diet literacy, and psychosocial history.
Specific Questions for Gathering More Information
Engaging parents/caregivers in matters regarding children’s weight is a complex endeavor, considering their role in ensuring effective weight management. In this sense, parents of children grappling with being underweight or overweight may demonstrate a feeling of blame and guilt when providing information on their children’s predicaments. Further, Uy et al. (2018) identify time limitations and limited knowledge of weight management interventions as potential barriers when communicating with parents about children’s nutritional status. As a result, healthcare professionals should be sensitive to these aspects and adopt appropriate interventions for gathering more information. Asking appropriate questions and displaying openness, trust, and sensitivity to family/cultural values can motivate parents to discuss weight-related issues (Uy et al., 2018). Examples of culturally sensitive questions include:
- How would you describe your normal daily eating habits?
- Have you experienced any recent changes in economic activities or lifestyle choices?
- Is your child receiving treatment for any health condition recently?
- Are there any school-based nutritional programs for the child?
- How would you describe the family’s recent food security status?
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Strategies to Encourage Parents/Caregivers
Parents can proactively engage in all-concerted efforts to promote children’s health and wellness. However, it is essential to address various barriers, including limited knowledge of weight management and nutritional interventions and disparate access to necessary resources. Two ideal strategies for motivating parents to proactively engage in children’s health and wellness are parental education and linking them to community resources. Ashcraft et al. (2019) argue that parental education improves parents’ ability to fund information and support, understanding of rights and responsibilities, and enhanced desire to participate in team-based health promotion initiatives. Enlightened parents can set health goals, make informed decisions, empower others, and advocate for children’s health (Ashcraft et al., 2019). Secondly, linking parents with community resources can significantly enhance their contribution to children’s health and wellness.
Community-based resources include information databases, community health nurses, expert offices, physical activity facilities, and health facilities. According to Pearce et al. (2019), community-based resources like health facilities can facilitate the implementation of the 5A framework for preventing weight-related conditions. This framework contains the following steps; assessing the patient’s needs, advising parents on strategies for sustained weight management, assisting caregivers to set goals for lifestyle modification, and arranging care interventions, including referral to support services. These interventions can strengthen parents’ involvement in team-based weight management approaches.
Conclusion
Childhood severe underweight is a risk factor for adverse health issues, including increased risk of infections, altered growth and development, and mental issues like depression and low self-esteem. Also, it is the leading cause of childhood mortality globally. Since severe underweight is a multifactorial health concern, healthcare professionals should assess patients’ nutritional status alongside other pertinent aspects, including a family history of weight-related conditions, food security status, patients’ medication history, and family eating habits. Also, it is crucial to motivate parents and caregivers to proactively engage in all-concerted efforts for promoting children’s health and wellness.
References
Acquah, E., Darteh, E. K. M., Amu, H., & Adjei, D. K. A. (2019). Predictors of underweight in children under-five years in Ghana. Ghana Medical Journal, 53(1), 71. https://doi.org/10.4314/gmj.v53i1.11
Ashcraft, L. E., Asato, M., Houtrow, A. J., Kavalieratos, D., Miller, E., & Ray, K. N. (2018). Parent empowerment in pediatric healthcare settings: A systematic review of observational studies. The Patient-Patient-Centered Outcomes Research, 12(2). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40271-018-0336-2
Dipasquale, V., Cucinotta, U., & Romano, C. (2020). Acute malnutrition in children: Pathophysiology, clinical effects, and treatment. Nutrients, 12(8), 2413. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu12082413
Kumar, R., Abbas, F., Mahmood, T., & Somrongthong, R. (2019). Prevalence and factors associated with underweight children: A population-based subnational analysis from Pakistan. BMJ Open, 9(7), e028972. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2019-028972
Mayo Clinic. (2022). Childhood obesity – Diagnosis and treatment. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/childhood-obesity/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354833#
Pearce, C., Rychetnik, L., Wutzke, S., & Wilson, A. (2019). Obesity prevention and the role of hospital and community-based health services: A scoping review. BMC Health Services Research, 19(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-019-4262-3
Uy, M. J. A., Pereira, M. A., Berge, J. M., & Loth, K. A. (2019). How should we approach and discuss children’s weight with parents? A qualitative analysis of recommendations from parents of preschool-aged children to physicians. Clinical Pediatrics, 58(2), 226–237. https://doi.org/10.1177/0009922818812489
World Health Organization. (2021, June 9). Malnutrition. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/malnutrition
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Instructions
When seeking to identify a patient’s health condition, advanced practice nurses can use a diverse selection of diagnostic tests and assessment tools; however, different factors affect the validity and reliability of the results produced by these tests or tools. Nurses must be aware of these factors in order to select the most appropriate test or tool and to accurately interpret the results.
Not only do these diagnostic tests affect adults, but body measurements can also provide a general picture of whether a child is receiving adequate nutrition or is at risk for health issues. These data, however, are just one aspect to be considered. Lifestyle, family history, and culture—among other factors—are also relevant. That said, gathering and communicating this information can be a delicate process.
Week 3 Assignment (3–4 pages), not including title and reference pages):
Assignment: Child Health Case:
For this Assignment, you will consider examples of children with various weight issues. You will explore how you could effectively gather information and encourage parents and caregivers to be proactive about their children’s health and weight.
Include the following:
- An explanation of the health issues and risks that are relevant to the child you were assigned.
- Describe additional information you would need to further assess his or her weight-related health.
- Identify and describe any risks and consider what further information you would need to gain a full understanding of the child’s health. Think about how you could gather this information in a sensitive fashion.
- Taking into account the parents’ and caregivers’ potential sensitivities, list at least three specific questions you would ask about the child to gather more information.
- Provide at least two strategies you could employ to encourage the parents or caregivers to be proactive about their child’s health and weight.
