2018 TNA and TSNA Joint Annual Conference

2018 TNA-TSNA JOINT CONFERENCE | ADVOCACY IN ACTION
Health Education and BMIs in 3rd Grade Students at Norman Smith Elementary
Eve Rice (Presenter)
Jessica Eckenrode (Co-Presenter)
Problem Addressed:
N/A
Objectives:
1. APSU and BSN students will participate as a team with their instructors to deliver preventative healthcare.
Will have the opportunity to learn evidence-based preventative care, coordinate activities, and manage their
BMI of the children studied.
2. An underserved community-based population of students who are presently not receiving adequate
health education will receive evidence-based care on an ongoing basis to improve their health status
regarding weight management and nutritional guidelines.
3. The overall goal is to obtain a decrease in BMIs for overweight third grade students over a two-month
period and to continue to follow these students through fifth grade.
Methods/Procedures:
Two APSU nursing professors, one of whom is also a pediatric nurse practitioner and six to twelve BSN
nursing students will provide health education through reading two purchased health promotion books
with the elementary students, discussing the literature in small group settings and sharing healthy snacks
(fruit and vegetable), and engaging in aerobic activities for this underserved population for one day a week
for three consecutive weeks during the PE class time (30-45 minutes). During the first-class session, BMI
indices will be measured for each participant by obtaining their height and weight. We will continue to
follow these participants through 5th grade and see if the education improves their individual BMI indices
and reducing childhood obesity.
Findings:
The findings are still being assessed for this spring.
Recommendations for Practice/Research:
“Health systems can address childhood obesity through the implementation of best practice guidelines
complemented by community-based resources, programs and policies that foster behavioral management
strategies that aid children’s diet, physical activity, sleep, stress and wellbeing.”
Childhood Obesity Guidelines
“In 2010 and 2017, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force provided a Grade B recommendation that
providers screen children aged 6 years or older for obesity and provide or refer children with obesity to
intensive lifestyle modification program.
In 2007 the American Academy of Pediatrics released the Expert Committee Recommendations that
suggest screening all children for obesity (>=2 years) and providing tiers of care regarding the treatment
and prevention of obesity.”
Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017). Childhood Obesity Guidelines. Retrieved from:
https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/strategies/healthcare/index.html
79