Child and Adolescent Health Risks

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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. Review Healthy 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.