Family-based approaches to obesity prevention and chronic disease

¶ … obesity is related to other chronic diseases like diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. The literature gathered has also indicated that there has been a reduction of obesity and overweight, which has made them less of a health goal. The researchers have established that majority of research concentrates on individuals and little research has been conducted to examine family members. This research has noted that there are people who express concern in regards to their weight, and they make attempts to reduce their food intake. This factor did not lead to any decrease in the prevalence of obesity which is still increasing. Using data from other findings the researchers have identified the need to target obesity strategies directly to the populations that are at risk. They have also noted that family units are vital, and this is why they opted to conduct their research based on family units and not individuals.

Ethical considerations for data collection

Researchers should ensure that they get approval from the people they wish to study before data collection begins. This will ensure that the people are aware of the study, and they participate willingly. The researchers should also ensure that the questions they ask their subjects will not cause any emotional or physical harm Boynton, 2004.

Researchers should also be able to differentiate subjectivity from objectivity. The researcher should avoid having any biases or opinions when conducting the research. This will ensure that the research is truthful, and all facts are recorded. The anonymity of the respondents should always be maintained. This is because many research subjects are operating on the fact that the findings, surveys, or observations will be anonymous. In case anonymity will not be maintained the researcher should inform the respondents of this fact before the research begins. After the research is completed, the researchers should make sure that they present and report their results accurately. The researcher should not take anything out of context or attempt to make interpretations based on their own perceptions. This ensures that the findings are correct, and they can be relied on by other researchers.

What the data is saying in regards to statistical analysis

According to the data presented, the researchers had a large enough number of participants for this study and this makes their findings more relevant. The researchers opted to use mean values when analyzing the dietary intakes of men, women, girls, and boys. From their findings, it was clear that boys had the highest intake of energy foods, and women had the lowest. The researchers also calculated a mean BMI that they would use to analyze the individual family unit in order to determine who was overweight. When they used the BMI criteria of 25 to 30 kg/m2 they found that 45% of men were overweight, and 19.7% of women were overweight A Lluch, 2000()

From this data one can see that the researchers have tried very much to capture and analyze their findings in a manner that people can understand, while still making variations.

Are the findings statistically significant?

The findings are statistically significant as the researchers have analyzed the subjects individually although from a family setting. They have also analyzed the eating style of the family members as they requested them to be keeping a record of all they eat during the day. The researchers have also made some relationships between the eating habits and the dietary intakes. They have also attempted to establish the relationship between people who are overweight, their eating habits, and dietary intakes. Making use of these relationships the researchers have presented their data in tables, which indicate the mean findings for the four categories based on different findings and analysis.

Are the conclusions appropriate?

The researchers have indicated that this was an entrance analysis. They used this analysis to formulate a baseline data that they will use for future analysis. This is because the research was to be conducted for 10 years. Based on the conclusions they have made, their conclusion may not be appropriate as they have not considered all the factors that could affect an individual's eating habits. For the initial research, their conclusions have identified the patterns they sort out to discover, but using these patterns alone without considering other environmental indices would not be appropriate.

The effectiveness of the study based on the information provided

This study is effective because it analyses a family unit and not just individuals from different backgrounds. By analyzing a family unit, the researchers were able to identify some common traits that would apply to all family members. This would not have been possible if they had studied individuals. The patterns that the researchers have identified in regards to the eating habits, and dietary intakes indicate that emotions affect women mostly and rarely does it affect men in regards to their eating habits. The study is also effective because all the participants were healthy individuals who did not have any disease that would affect their eating behavior. This ensured that the data collected was accurate and represented a normal population.