Research Design Using Secondary Data

Construct a Research Design Using Secondary Data
Part 1
Secondary data takes into account data that is gathered by someone else aside from the user. Examples of sources of secondary data comprise of data gathered by government establishments, organizational records in addition to data that was initially gathered for other purposes of research. The secondary data selected for this paper is census. In delineation, a census is the process of methodically obtaining and recording data and information regarding the members of a certain population. It is a frequently recurring and formal count of a certain population. Moreover, it is a kind of administrative data, but it is gathered for the purpose of research at distinctive time periods and intervals. Census information is obtained from the United States Census Bureau. Reliability is delineated as the magnitude to which an appraisal tool generates steady and consistent outcomes. The census data obtained can be deemed largely reliable for the reason that the outcomes obtained are not only stable but are also consistent throughout the different periods of time. However, it is imperative to note that the secondary data obtained from census is not completely accurate. This is largely for the reason that the data is never up to date and therefore, the statistics provided might have completely changed either through an increase or decrease. For instance, in the case of obese data of American people, the census data gathered in the year 2003 or 2013 cannot be considered to be accurate in depicting the prevailing number of obese individuals in the United States in the present day. However, such data can be deemed reliable for making projections. In addition, the census is a special extensive activity which occurs once within a decade in the entire nation. Therefore, such data can be reliable in gaining information regarding the population about a certain phenomenon but is not accurate at all times owing to the fact that it is undertaken solely once within a ten-year period (Central Bureau of Statistics, 2018).
Part II
Research Problem
Obesity is an intricate issue with numerous causes and consequences. Within the United States, obesity is a key health problem giving rise to several illnesses, particularly increased risk of particular kinds of cancer, stroke, and diabetes and also giving rise to substantial economic outlays. Imperatively, in recent years, obesity has continues to grow within the United States and the nation is deemed to comprise of one of the biggest percentage of obese individuals in the world. The research problem in this study is to examine why so many Americans are overweight.
Research Design
Research design is delineated as a draught and outline that specifies how, when, and where data are to be gathered and analyzed. It is the general approach for resolving the research question or examining the research hypothesis. The research design of this study takes up quantitative research approach. Notably, quantitative research can be defined as a planned and organized manner of gathering and analyzing data gathered from different sources. Quantitative research encompasses the use of computational, numerical, and measured tools to develop results. It is decisive in its purpose as it endeavors to enumerate the problem and then comprehend how widespread it is by seeking for projectable results to a greater population (Thomas, 2003). In this regard, the data will make use of quantitative data from secondary sources in order to make an analysis of the research problem.
Secondary Data
The secondary data used on this study is obtained from the United States Census Bureau. However, it is imperative to note that the U.S Census Bureau is not the primary source for the data gathered on obesity. Imperatively, the primary source for data on obesity is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, included in the National Center for Health Statistics. Statistics indicate that between 2011 and 2014, the prevalence of obesity was just about 36 percent in adults in the United States and 17 percent amongst the youth. In addition, the secondary data also indicated that the prevalence of obesity was greater amongst women, standing at 38.3 percent compared to the level of obesity amongst men, standing at 34.3%. With respect to the youth, there was no discernible significant difference between the male and the female. The secondary data also indicated that the prevalence of obesity was considerably greater amongst individuals considered middle-aged standing at 40.2 percent and also in older adults at 37.0 percent compared to younger adults at 32.3 percent. Furthermore, an additional statistic obtained from the secondary data was associated to the racial background of the American population. The data was indicative that the level and pervasiveness of obesity was greater amongst non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, and Hispanic adults and youth than among non-Hispanic Asian adults and youth. What is more, the statistics indicated that in the 15 year period between 1999 and 2014, the pervasiveness of obesity considerably increased amongst American adults and youth. However, it can be noted that the extent of obesity amongst the youth did not change in the decade between 2003 and 2013 (Ogden et al., 2015).

Population in whole (Men and Women)
Men
Women

Obesity or Overweight
70.2
73.7
66.9

Overweight
32.5
38.7
26.5

Obesity (taking into account extreme obesity also)
37.7
35
40.4

Extreme obesity
7.7
5.5
9.9



Estimated Percentage of US Adults with Overweight and Obesity by Sex 2013 - 2014
The table above outlines an approximated proportion of adults in the United States with obesity and overweight and also ranked by both male and female sexes. Statistics indicate that just about 70.2 percent of the adult population in the United States, that is more than 2 in 3 adults, is deemed to be obese or overweight. Specifically, 32.5 percent were deemed overweight and 37.7 percent were deemed to be obese. 7.7 percent of the American adult population is deemed to be suffering from extreme obesity (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2018).
Recommendations to Solve the Research Problem Based on the Data Used
As can be perceived from the secondary data delineated above, obesity is without a doubt one of the major health concerns and problems in communities across the United States. Imperatively, factors associated to obesity are also ranked as primacy health issues for the communities, comprising of nutrition and physical activity, hypertension and heart disease as well as diabetes. However, there are a number of recommendations that can be undertaken to facilitate in resolving the problem of high prevalence of obesity amongst Americans based on the data employed. One of the key recommended strategies is providing support to parents, households, and caregivers in endeavors to offer healthier choices and options for food and beverages, inspire sufficient physical activity and act as suitable examples simply by spending a lesser period of time on the couch and glued to television screens and taking a greater amount of time in activities by running, walking, riding bicycles and also playing with children. Another recommended approach takes into account making certain that healthy food and beverage options are accessible for children in schools and also child-care environments, in addition to augmenting prospects to be active and engaged in physical activity programs of high quality (State of Obesity, 2018).
Obesity prevalence is high amongst Americans owing to being overweight and largely associated to eating unhealthy meals. Another recommendation takes into account making certain that there is accessibility of healthy food options. This can be undertaken by means of endeavors such as healthy food financing approaches, programs and initiatives for nutrition assistance, endeavors for education on nutrition and also the creation of farmers’ markets. It is also recommended that there be the provision of healthcare coverage for the purposes of obesity counseling and services together with comprehensive preventative healthcare for adolescents and young kids. The problem of obesity can also be diminished through the engagement of healthcare systems and healthcare institutions to support accessibility to services that take into consideration and promote the health of patients simply beyond the doctor visits. This endeavor can be accomplished through incessant community based programs, educating and counseling efforts that can diminish healthcare expenses and generate better results (State of Obesity, 2018).
Food products being eaten and consumed by Americans is also a major contributing factor. Taking this into consideration, another recommendation takes into account backing the efforts of food and drink companies to manufacture and retail healthy, cost-effective options, and diminish the level of calories, fat and also sugar that is contained within food products and beverages. Moreover, there is the recommendation for augmenting wellness programs within the work environment in addition to engagement with employers to support community-wide health enhancement initiatives (State of Obesity, 2018).




References
Central Bureau of Statistics. (2018). Uses of census data. Retrieved from: http://www.cbs.gov.il/census/census/pnimi_sub_page_e.html?id_topic=1&id_subtopic
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. (2018). Overweight and obesity statistics. Retrieved from: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/health-statistics/overweight-obesity
Ogden, C. L., Carroll, M. D., Fryar, C. D., & Flegal, K. M. (2015). Prevalence of obesity among adults and youth: United States, 2011-2014 (pp. 1-8). US Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics.
State of Obesity. (2018). Obesity Rates & Trends Overview. Retrieved from: https://stateofobesity.org/obesity-rates-trends-overview/
Thomas, R. M. (2003). Blending qualitative and quantitative research methods in theses and dissertations. Corwin Press.