Sample Healthcare Essay Paper on Obesity Prevalence in the Appalachia
Module Four Worksheet
Every data collection and analysis method has limitations. For this worksheet activity, using the Reference article from the provided list for your final project article, identify all elements of the article that you have studied in previous modules. In addition, identify the limitations presented by the study population and the advantages and disadvantages of the statistical analysis used.
To complete this assignment, complete the following steps:
- Review the article you selected for the final project and identify another article with a similar study in the references list.
- Obtain the article referenced by your final project article and review it.
- Download and complete this Module Four Worksheet document. Address the following:
- Purpose, research question, and hypothesis
- Research methods
- Results or key findings
- Limitations
- Upload and submit your completed worksheet assignment
| Part I: Identify the Articles | |
| What is the title of the article you have chosen from the Final Project Articles document? | Article Title: Examining the Impact of Food Environment Changes on County- level Obesity Prevalence in the Appalachian Region |
| What is the full APA style citation of the article you identified from the references list of your final project article? | Jaime , B., Kai, W., & Allison, L. (2017). Examining the Impact of Food Environment Changes on County- level Obesity Prevalence in the Appalachian Region. Journal of Health Disparities Research and Practice , 10 (4), 14-33. |
| Part II: Purpose, Research Question, and Hypothesis | |
| What is the purpose of the study? | The research purposes establish the consequences of drastic changes in the food environment on county-level obesity incidence in the Appalachia. |
| What is/are the research question(s)? | What is the correlation between changes in the food environment and obesity? What other factors contribute to obesity in the Appalachian areas? |
| What is/are the hypothesis (es) of the study? | There are more obese people in the rural areas compared to the urban centers People in rural areas are most affected by dietary associated disease |
| What is/are the explanatory variable(s)? | Rural Appalachia, Economic Status, Change in grocery quantity, change in number of fast food restaurants |
| What is/are the response variable(s)? | Obesity |
| Part III: Research Methods | |
| What population are the researchers interested in? | The research targeted in 412 counties in the Appalachian Region. The research targeted the rural communities of the United States with a population of over 60 million |
| What is the sample? How did the researchers select their sample? | A sample is a representative of a population under study. The sample was selected due to the challenges inherent of living upcountry. These challenges include: limited access, inadequate exercise; overdependence on carbohydrates and fast foods. The drastic decline in grocery stores in the period 2007-2011 in the Appalachian areas High prevalence rates of obesity in the Appalachia motivated this research |
| How did the researchers collect their data? | Data relied upon was mostly collected by other organizations for research. These organizations include Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, the American Community Survey, and the Food Environment Atlas. |
| What statistical analysis did the researchers use? | Random sampling of respondents’ comments by Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System. Data presented for analysis is weighted so to decrease bias associated with under represented samples |
| Part IV: Results or Key Findings | |
| What was/were the result(s) of the research question(s)? | In poverty stricken rural areas with access to convenience stores and fast food outlets the percentage obesity tended to increase due to over reliance on fast foods. In middle income rural Appalachia areas, obesity levels tended to decline mostly due to increase intake of vegetables from grocery stores |
| What were the differences in the groups that were being studied? | Obesity was experienced most in the poor areas of Appalachia compared to the areas with moderate income earners in the Appalachia |
| Did the result support the researchers’ hypothesis or not? | The research corroborated the research question and hypothesis |
| List (with support) any other results that you found interesting. | Obesity was most prevalent in the children between age 6 and 14. This can be attributed to their inclination to subscribe readily to junk and fast foods compared to foods from grocery stores |
| Part V: Limitations | |
| What did the researchers state as the limitations of their study? | Limited geographical areaLack of futuristic prospectusGeneralized research |
| Why are these limitations? | Researcher limited his statistics and failed to give his research a futuristic bearing by limiting his research period to changes that occurred between 2007 and 2011.Research scope was limited to the Appalachian area therefore the scope of its applicability is limited only to regions with similar characteristics. Research was generalized to cover county characteristics and not individual characteristics of the people |
| Please list a question you have about the study that was not addressed in this article. | What is the impact of knowledge and education in the Appalachia on the rates of obesity in the region? |