Needs Assessment
Needs assessment can be regarded as a process by which the needs of a group or individuals can be determined so that a program can be designed to satisfy those needs and effect the desired change in behavior (Summer, Briggs & Bell, 1997). A nutrition education program should be based on a needs assessment that has been conducted on the target audience. When that is done, nutrition education based messages can then be appropriate for the targeted audience. In the case of this paper, my community is afflicted by the problem of obesity, especially children and adolescents. It is, therefore, my goal to construct an appropriate nutritional education program to combat this deeply rooted issue. Additionally, I recognize the need to come up with a plan that would not be implemented during a school day—a plan to involve the target audience in a non-school based form.
Primary data is a crucial source of information that would adequately describe the target population. I intend to formulate a questionnaire to be administered to the specific group in the community. The data to be collected should include: population characteristics like gender, age and ethnicity; nutritional information like dietary habits, availability of the different foods and food preferences; personal and communal perspectives of the audience on nutrition and food preferences and finally; lifestyle information about their information sources, activities they may be taking part in that are related to health and how they would identify themselves (Summer, Briggs & Bell, 1997). Once the data collected has been well-thought-out, then the program can be defined.
Program Description
The program, in a nutshell, will target the children and adolescents, struggling with obesity, outside the school set up. To implement such a nutrition education program that revolves around an alternative lifestyle of those earmarked, it is essential to map out what this alternative lifestyle entails. Communities that are physically active and indulge in healthy dietary patterns decrease the prevalence of obesity among their population (Anderson, Harper, Calkin, Buffalo & Mullis, 2015). The select population in this case, need about an hour of moderately intense physical activities daily. This is a bare minimum type of scenario. The program thus is focused on encouraging the community to strive for, at the very least, the bare minimum when it comes to healthy activities.
A study conducted to monitor the success of institution-based nutritional improvement programs in obese teenagers had positive results. It concluded that having both an interactive and intensive nutritional educative program that focuses on the attitudes of the participants, improved health promotion. The researchers narrowed their focus on the selection of food and calculation of food energy impacts the attitude of the participants on healthy diets (In-Iw, Saetae & Manaboriboon, 2012).
By employing social media as the main information source of the targeted section of the community, the program would achieve this attitude change so that obesity is dealt with in perpetuity. Coming generations would find that the norm has shifted towards embracing a healthy lifestyle. The current one would work towards improving their health standards since it is what the community would value.
Program Mission Statement
Solving obesity through leveraging social media to reach children and teens, while changing both the external and internal environment of the community.
The Program Goals and Objectives
The first objective of the program is to reinforce the evidence-base on the benefits of the healthier alternative lifestyle that it intends to promote through its various methods ("Children’s Healthy Living Programs", 2017). A study conducted to monitor the efficacy of institution-based nutritional learning programs in obese adolescents had positive results. It concluded that having both an interactive and intensive nutritional educative program that focuses on the attitudes of the participants improved health promotion. The researchers narrowed their focus on the selection of food and calculation of food energy impacts the attitude of the participants on healthy diets (In-Iw, Saetae & Manaboriboon, 2012).
By employing social media, the main information source of the targeted section of the community, the program would achieve this attitude change so that obesity is dealt with in perpetuity. Coming generations would find that the norm has shifted towards embracing a healthy lifestyle. The current one would work towards improving their health standards since it is what the community would value methods ("Children’s Healthy Living Programs", 2017).
This is through collecting information on the importance of the better diet and being more physically active. Secondary data is not the aim but rather get the community to participate in sharing testimonials on how their health has improved because of implementing a healthier lifestyle. This serves the objective of bringing the proof of action closer home. It is my view that if those targeted can relate with the one sending the message, then it would be more readily received.
Secondly, it aims to create an environment that promotes this type of alternative lifestyle. This would be done through the shaping of the environment around the community to both support and encourage good health. The physical environment is a major contributor to this goal. Following this, the community, in its roots, would be more willing to engage in physical activities as their physical environment promotes this. This is the second objective.
Finally, the program needs to achieve a mindset change in the community. Information on the benefits of eating healthy and exercising is abundant in social media and in the current education system being taught in schools. The program would bridge the gap between having the knowledge and putting it into practice (Zeltner, 2014). This would be actuated by having ambassadors in form of local celebrities that would preach this message to the young population.
The Plan for Implementation
The program is grounded on promoting physical activities and a healthier dietary alternative for the select population (London Borough of Havering Public Health Service, 2016). The importance of those two factors cannot be overlooked when dealing with the issue of obesity among the younger population. Information dissemination is the hallmark of the program. The social platforms that are already present and widely used can be used, to great effect, in spreading the gospel of a healthier lifestyle. In this era of interconnectivity and seamless communication, the best medium to disperse information is social media.
In my community, I plan to focus on shaping the physical environment to foster people engaging more in physical activities. This will have to do with using the social platforms to urge legislation and policies in favor of renovation measures that are geared to make streets more conducive for walking; expanding and increasing the aesthetic appeal of the green spaces in the community (London Borough of Havering Public Health Service, 2016). This would be through having the community sign petitions that would be peddled on social media.
Additionally, the dietary environment also requires shaping to solve obesity from another angle. Here, social media is an indispensable tool. Asserting the idea that eating healthier is better would prove key. I plan to use the tool to market healthy alternatives to the select population.
Since the young are still impressionable, having role models who propagate the idea of a healthy lifestyle is another key part of the program. Consequently, it would then partner with local celebrities to get them to spread this message on social media. Subtly should not be lost in this endeavor. The role models would be asked to take photos of them either engaging in physical activities or taking healthy meals and snacks to make it more appealing to the children and teens.
Program Evaluation
As a way of evaluating the program and its success, it is important to follow up with the schools they attend to find out if, for example, in the cafeteria there are more requests for healthy foods. This would of course be done within months of implementing the program. This is an important measure of success for the program as if the children take an active role in wanting healthy foods, it shows that the message is being well received (Fernandes, Bernardo, Campos & Vasconcelos, 2009).
The program described is not time bound and thus, in my opinion better than employing a nutrition program that works within a specified timeframe. The perpetual nature of the program ensures that the culture change to be realized can be maintained by the community itself without further intervention in future. If the mindset is altered, it is easier to sustain a healthy society. A plan for evaluation of the program would involve monitoring the green spaces for increased activity, viewing social media for a change in what the children and teens consider “cool”. The aim of this would be to find out the extent in which this new culture has been engraved in the community. If it is not satisfactory, then the above efforts mentioned can be intensified.