Topic 1: Child and Adolescent Health Risks

Topic 1: Child and Adolescent Health Risks
As you discovered in this week’s lectures and readings, several populations face multiple health risks across their lifespan. Children and adolescents are a population that is at a higher health risk for obesity. A national movement is underway to reduce risk factors for developing obesity in children. Part of this movement is the “Let’s Move!” campaign, which is a comprehensive and coordinated initiative to prevent childhood obesity. The initiative emphasizes four primary components: healthy schools, access to affordable and healthy food, raising children’s physical activity levels, and empowering families to make healthy choices. ReviewHealthy People 2020:

1. Identify risk factors for childhood obesity.
2. Do the risk factors differ and how do they differ between children and adolescents?
3. Identify objectives that will combat childhood and adolescent obesity.
4. Provide suggestions on how community health nurses can contribute to these national health objectives and accomplish the goal of decreasing obesity among this population.