The purpose of the summarized study was to evaluate the association between diet and physical activities as weight loss techniques, independently and jointly with weight alterations in adolescents and young adults. Subjects were 4456 female teenagers and young adults between the ages of 13 and23. Weight loss techniques Self-Reported in 2001 were used to predict changes in weight during the period spanning 2001 to 20015. Results indicated that dietary strategies did not predict weight control during the four year period investigated. On average, participants gained 7.3 pounds. Participant who exercised at least five days a week gained significant less weight. The most effective technique for limiting weight gain was limiting portion size combined with frequent exercise (Field, Haines, Rosner, & Willett, 2010).
The lack of a guiding framework or theory in this study meant there was no specific structure for the study nor was there a rational for predicting the relationships examined. Additionally, the study lacked a guide to help make sense of the findings so there was no meaningful interpretations. Given there were few significant results to report, further research is needed but there is no basis for future research. (Polit & Beck, 2013, 132-150).
If I was planning a new undergraduate nursing program on theory I would include in the curriculum would be the Health Beliefs Model. This is an important model for nursing care since it acknowledges that health related behavior doesn’t fail to occur just because of a lack of education. It posits that there are a number of things that might become road blocks or facilitating factors of positive health behaviors including how much of a threat a health problem is perceived as, and the perceived efficacy of the targeted actions to reduce the threat. This is a critical area of focus since it is clear that a person’s beliefs significantly affect their behavior.
- Field, A. E., Haines, J., Rosner, B., & Willett, W. C. (2010). Weight-control behaviors and subsequent weight change among adolescents and young adult females. The American journal of clinical nutrition, 91(1), 147-153.
- Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2013). Essentials of nursing research: Appraising evidence for nursing practice. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
