Childhood Obesity in Virginia

Introduction

This paper is based on research on childhood obesity in Virginia. The paper outlines and discusses the category of the research study performed on childhood obesity in Virginia. Research design applied in the research and reason behind the application of the design is explained in the paper. This paper identifies the target population of the research study. Risk factors and outcomes of childhood obesity in Virginia are discussed in the paper. This paper further discusses the temporal element of the study, strengths and weaknesses of research design applied to perform the study.

Category of the research study

The research study is an analytic research study. The research study is aimed at establishing the root cause or causes of the research problem. The study enables the researcher to identify the factors that are responsible for childhood obesity in Virginia. This research study is a problem solving research study (Maggio, 2017). It helps the researcher to establish solutions that can be applied to prevent and manage childhood obesity in Virginia. An analytic research study was selected over a descriptive one. Descriptive research would only provide explanations to the research problem rather than critically analyze the problem (Maggio, 2017).  

Research design and reason behind selection of the design

The research design used is a cohort research design. Cohort research design uses samples that are referred to as cohorts to ascertain risk factors that link research participants to a certain disease (Bandiera, 2016). The cohort or sample population used in this research possesses same characteristics. Cohort research design enables the researcher to identify correlation between the characteristics and risk factors associated with obesity. Cohort research design was used to enable the researcher to collect factual evidence on existence and prevalence of childhood obesity in Virginia. Cohort research design was further used to collect factual evidence about the causes and consequences of childhood obesity in Virginia. 

Target population

The target population for the research study was children and adolescents. The target audience of the research study was individuals that were 18years and below. The law considers individuals that are 18years and below as children (Scott, 2015). Children in low income earning households were the main target of the research study. The research study targeted children in high and middle income households as well. Children from low income earning households were the main target of the research children since they are exposed to more obesity risk factors than other children. The research study targeted and focused on children in Virginia only and did not extend over the boundaries of Virginia.

Risk factors and outcomes and how to measure them

A major risk factor of childhood obesity is poor dietary and feeding habits (Scott, 2015). Consumption of junk and fast foods in Virginia has increased greatly over the past few years. Consumption level of conventional foods that are very healthy has declined. Fast foods contain high levels of cholesterol that is responsible for increased body fats in Virginian children. Poor dietary and feeding habits can be measured through determining the level of consumption of junk and fast foods in Virginia (Scott, 2015). 

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A major outcome of childhood obesity is increased child mortality rates and reduced life expectancy (Scott, 2015). According to Scott, obese children are more likely to live for shorter periods than children who have normal body weights (2015). Obese children are exposed to many diseases that may result to their early deaths. Increase child mortality rates of Virginia can be measured by ascertaining the number of children that have died in Virginia over the recent years due to obesity related issues.

Temporal element of the research study

A temporal element of the research study is valid time element. Valid time element establishes the period within which a research should be performed for its data to be valid (Maggio, 2017). The research study was performed within a specified period of time and was completed one day before the set deadline. Sufficient time for performance of the study ensures that data recorded in the research report is reliable, relevant and more so valid.

Strength of the research design

Analytic research design establishes the root cause or causes of a research problem (Bandiera, 2016). The design enables a researcher to identify the factors are responsible for childhood obesity in Virginia. Diagnostic research design is a problem solving research design. It helps the researcher to establish solutions towards the research problem. Established solutions ensure that the problem is not left unsolved after the research has been completed. Identification of the causes and consequences of the problem helps in establishing scope and severity of the research problem.

Cohort research design enables a researcher to gain factual evidence on the research topic (Maggio, 2017). Factual evidence promotes reliability and relevance of research data presented by the researcher.

Weakness of the research design

Analytic research design is time consuming (Maggio, 2017). A researcher spends a lot of time trying to identify the causes of a research problem in this case the causes of childhood obesity in Virginia. Wastage of time increases the research period hence resulting to consumption of increased resources. Time wastage results to late completion of a research study. 

Cohort research design limits reliability of research data. The research design uses samples to generalize whole populations. Samples might not necessarily be efficient representatives of whole populations.

Conclusion

The research study is an analytic research study. The research design used is a cohort research design. The target population for the research study was children and adolescents. The target audience of the research study was individuals that were 18years and below. The temporal element of the research study is valid time element. Analytic research design establishes root cause or causes of a research problem. Cohort research design limits reliability of research data.

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