My goal is to reduce the incidence of chronic disease in the 20-40 year old age group of Americans and the prevalence of it in the over 40 population. The CDC’s August Vital Signs report offers a snapshot on the obesity problem in the US. I mention this because obesity is a risk factor for most if not all the chronic disease to which I refer. That being said, even a person not exposed to the science of weight loss knows that losing weight is far from simple and far from easy. For this reason, I wish to reduce if not eliminate obesity in the country’s children through prevention efforts. This is a goal of the Let’s Move program which began this past year and which has the support and endorsement of the President of the United States.
Though I have a concrete plan for which to address this issue, I feel that it would be the best use of this practicum to apply for a OLSL (office of leadership and service learning) Community Based Research Grant in order to take a step back, review the current situation, especially in light of the information I have highlighted below, and with the results of my community research I can either proceed as intended or revise my plan to incorporate the existing community strengths and programs. Either outcome, it is my hope, would then lead to a submission to the CDC or similar agency for greater funding in this regard.
To that end, this past week I have begun to sketch out the next steps in such a plan, which of course includes presenting it to the class – or my journal.
I have also scheduled a meeting with a professor in the nutrition department Margaret Savoca, both for my program and for this endeavor.
If this all seems feasible, I will begin work on gathering the data needed for the OLSL application and either way will attend the September 2nd interest meeting.
I will review more thoroughly the links that I have posted below. I have also located and bookmarked the websites of Guilford County Schools, the Guilford County Health Dept and its Get Healthy Coalition (waiting for response) and I have requested to be on the mailing list for a state wide Food and Nutrition list serv (response received). I am looking into permission to join the School Health Advisory Committee also.
I expect to use secondary data sources to begin my statement of need, etc and hopefully the grant would allow me some primary data collection through interviews of key stakeholders, etc.
My other interest is in having an instrument I created, professionally edited and validated for use by health educators in this area of obesity prevention/awareness. Perhaps this is something I can pursue in the summer.
I have some disappointment this week as well. I am on email alerts for workshops for both NCTracs and the OLSL which have very timely and relevant topics that I will miss due to being in class - OR already attending other workshops!
http://www.letsmove.gov/communityleaders.php
http://www.letsmove.gov/healthierschoolfood.php
http://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/recovery/
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