NURS 6512 CASE STUDY ASSIGNMENT: ASSESSMENT OF NUTRITION IN CHILDREN

Pediatric patients’ dietary condition determines their reaction to sickness. Adequate nutrition is crucial for achieving optimal growth and development (Liu et al., 2020). Nutritional assessment is essential in the comprehensive care of pediatric patients. This paper aims to assess the health issues faced by a 17-year-old female, collect relevant health data, and develop a set of interview questions to be posed to both the patient and immediate family members who play a significant role in the management of the patient’s health. This evaluation will concentrate on the social and academic factors that raise her risk of developing severe anxiety and potential weight-related problems, given the severity of her condition and the need to gather an accurate medical record for the patient.

Health Issues And Risks

The case study focuses on a 17-year-old female student. The patient experiences anxiety while in school. Various factors, such as examinations, financial concerns, familial issues, and social difficulties, can potentially contribute to the development of anxiety (Aucoin et al., 2021). Anxiety, as a mental health issue, can potentially impair both the emotional and physical well-being of the patient. Anxiety increases the likelihood of students engaging in drug use, risky behaviors, and developing eating disorders, which can have negative consequences on their academic performance and social relationships. Collecting more data during the patient intake phase is crucial for accurately identifying mental health issues associated with these diseases.

The adolescent female patient is at risk of weight problems due to anxiety. Another contributing factor is the presence of a housemate experiencing depression. Liu et al. (2020) found that individuals with a genetic predisposition or existing anxiety and depression are more likely to develop eating disorders, which contributes to the high rates of comorbidity between anxiety and eating disorders. A comprehensive historical analysis should be considered. A comprehensive assessment of the patient’s medical history is necessary, encompassing their existing health conditions and prescribed medications. Various conditions, including congenital malformations and chronic conditions like cystic fibrosis or celiac disease, can affect physical growth and development, leading to weight problems and anxiety.

Additional Information

During the evaluation, clinicians can gather information about the patient’s current health status and identify any potential weight-related health concerns that could affect her recovery. Norwitz and Naidoo (2021) suggest that in order to gain a comprehensive understanding of the environmental and social factors at play, it is recommended to inquire about academic program limitations, sleep patterns, changes in the environment, and students’ perceptions of the nutrient content of meals consumed outside of their homes. Assessing a patient’s knowledge of the negative impacts that their weight-related problems are having on their relationships, performance, and general health is another helpful approach. Identifying and addressing physiological, pharmacological, and psychological reasons improves results. Hence, this data can be utilized to ascertain the underlying causes of the adolescent’s deteriorating mental and physical well-being.

Multiple modalities exist for assessing weight status. The Body Mass Index (BMI) is a commonly used and cost-effective method. The results of the calculation can be categorized as usual, overweight, or obese, depending on age and gender-specific reference ranges. Pleplé et al. (2021) found that BMI measurements can provide insights into the progression, severity, and potential causes of specific trends. In addition to waist and hip circumferences, additional anthropometric measurements consist of the waist-to-hip ratio and body fat percentage. Laboratory investigations can evaluate the health risks linked to obesity. Diabetes, dyslipidemia, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, and lipid profiles are some of the obesity-related illnesses that blood sugar levels, liver function tests, and lipid profiles may detect. Individual patient characteristics and clinical manifestations will determine the approach.

Risks

The corroborated history that the parents and carers offer will be used to gather further details about the child’s health. It will be crucial to have the child’s developmental history, including birth weight, growth charts, and any changes in eating and exercise patterns. An ancestry of obesity in one’s family suggests a hereditary tendency. We’ll also take into account obesity-related consequences, including diabetes, anxiety, and obstructive sleep apnea (Norwitz & Naidoo, 2021). Evaluating the existence of secondary risk factors, such as the usage of drugs linked to obesity, is crucial. To get insightful comments, sensitive information must be gathered. Avoidance of judgment, correct tone and approach, suitable scheduling of conversations, respect for parental knowledge, and offering of clear, case-sensitive solutions are all critical factors during weight-related health discussions. Maintaining open communication, proper involvement, and respectful encounters that develop mutual trust is essential.

Questions

To assess the patient’s mental well-being, the healthcare provider may ask the patient and their parents the following inquiries: What is the level of stress in your life? What coping strategies do you employ in response to feelings of anxiety or stress? Which activities aid in the management of stress and anxiety? What is the frequency of your daily meals? Please describe your meals. Do you make an effort to maintain a healthy diet? Do you believe your weight falls within a healthy range? What strategies will you employ to achieve weight loss or weight gain? Do you have a friendly relationship? Do individuals engage in the sharing of thoughts and emotions with one another? What is your daughter’s perspective on her body and weight? Does she discuss her appearance and body weight in her environment? (Aucoin et al., 2021).

Strategies To Promote Health

One practical approach is to educate the patient’s parents about the health risks associated with the patient’s weight and encourage them to promote the patient’s adherence to a balanced and nutritious diet. Parents’ active involvement in their daughter’s health and wellness can be motivated by informing them about mental health services that can help adolescents address weight-related health issues and anxiety caused by social, environmental, and academic challenges (Aucoin et al., 2021). One approach is to organize family meetings involving a dietician and nutritionist to develop a nutritious meal plan that supports the daughter’s efforts to attain and sustain a healthy body weight. Another strategy involves promoting children’s self-esteem to cultivate body confidence. It is imperative to motivate her to maintain a nutritious diet and regular exercise routine in order to improve her overall well-being. Parents should provide their daughter with support and assistance in adhering to her medication regimen and fostering a nutritious diet and regular exercise routine.

Conclusion

There is a connection between personal development and weight. A variety of factors, including genetics, environment, gender, education, and nutrition, impact a person’s growth and development. A balanced diet may be maintained by consuming food, water, and sources of essential nutrients in the right amounts. A person’s low BMI may result from worry, hormone imbalances, or inheritance, among other things. In order to gather important information that might aid in the diagnosis of anxiety and weight-related issues, the practitioner should establish a rapport with the patient.

References

Aucoin, M., LaChance, L., Naidoo, U., Remy, D., Shekdar, T., Sayar, N., Cardozo, V., Rawana, T., Chan, I., & Cooley, K. (2021). Diet and Anxiety: A scoping review. Nutrients, 13(12), 4418. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13124418

Liu, M. W., Chen, Q. T., Towne, S. D., Zhang, J., Yu, H., Tang, R., Gasevic, D., Wang, P., & He, Q. (2020). Fruit and vegetable intake in relation to depressive and anxiety symptoms among adolescents in 25 low- and middle-income countries. Journal of Affective Disorders, 261, 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2019.10.007