2. Abstract
This studies purpose was to further explore the problem of obesity
rates in American children and entertain the factors that are related
to analyze why American children are at higher obesity rates today
then ever before. This research is important because Obesity levels
in Americas youth has increased in the last two decades. Before we
are able to solve the problem we must define the problem. When
looking specifically at this research the question is asked; Does
Socioeconomic status affect obesity rates in American children?
While conducting this research the methods used were a mix of both
qualitative and quantitative. The research was first reviewed
through different literature and then tested by collecting first hand
data through direct surveys. Income along with housing type, school
activities, neighborhood type, and obesity levels of children were all
considered while conducting research. Most notably, children living
in a household with a lower Socioeconomic Status were found to
have a higher BMI, putting them at a higher risk for childhood
obesity.
4. Thesis
Conflict theory asserts that a environmental
inequality exists between the socioeconomic classes
in society and obesity rates in children
Point I
The physical environmental
characteristics of lower-
income neighborhoods yield
a higher rate of obesity in
American children.
Point II
Social environmental
surroundings have an
influence observing that
the longer a child is
exposed in a low income
environment the higher
their BMI rises.
5. E V I D E N C E
The physical environmental characteristics of
lower-income neighborhoods yield a higher rate
of obesity in American children.
Out side influences such as physical characteristics of a neighborhood creates negative
environments in children’s everyday lives that have a direct correlation with the low-
SES population.
This is a fundamental factor in explaining why children that are considered to be from
low-income neighborhoods are statistically found to have higher BMI’s and make up a
significant portion of Americas high obesity rates.
One of the key factors in determining the physical attributes of a negative environment
is the pathway of “neighborhood influences” used to describe the barriers that
determine why children in these neighborhoods yield high rates of obesity, family
influences can also be described as a physical environment affecting child’s growing
environment.
Each of these pathways pertains to physical reasons proving why kids are affected by
outside factors that can disrupt a consistent healthy lifestyle.
Point I:
6. E V I D E N C E
Social environmental surroundings have an influence
observing that the longer a child is exposed in a low-
income environment the higher their BMI rises.
Point II:
Family environment is a social pathway in which researchers use to describe why
children are struggling with obesity.
The education a child receives from their parents and school is a big factor in
determining what foods they will recognize to be healthy and beneficial to them.
The more children are socialized into good eating habits the healthier they will
be, unfortunately low-SES parents are not educated on the nutrition of what
foods are high in micronutrients.
The longer children are exposed to a low-SES the high their BMI rises. The
duration of exposure to a low-income existence was said to be detrimental to the
health of a child.
7. Another pressing social factor affecting these children is
the pathway of psychological distress within their own
personal behavior and lives.
In order for children to have a healthy development they
must have routine, trust, and have parents that are
readily available for support.
There tends to be more, violence, crowding, noise, and
housing problems putting children in low-SES at an
especially higher risk for being obese.
Low-SES children experienced more depression, anxiety
and emotional problems leading them into obesity.
8. Proposed Research Methods
A mix of both Qualitative and Quantitative methods to overcome the
limitations of using a single design. With qualitative research I will be looking to
identify themes, patterns, issues, context and quotes that I find my subjects
talking about. With quantitative the approach that will be used is Survey
Research, with predetermined close ended.
The Data Collection Instrument that will be used while collecting research is
a BMI calculator. This will be a standard equation used to calculate the BMI of
my population, I will also use a standard chart that reads off what levels of BMI
are considered Obese.
9. Internal Validity, External Validity, Reliability
Internal Validity is the idea that asks, are researchers truly
measuring what they say they are measuring. Meaning am I
selecting the right people (children ages 4-13) to put into my data
set. The mortality rate will be taken into account, as well as use the
same instrumentation for all test subjects will be used, such as a
universal BMI calculation.
External Validity tells us how well my findings of my sample can
be applied to the population. In my research findings I will be
generalizing my outcomes only to my population which is
Elementary school age children and Middle school aged children of
the area that I sampled in Long beach California.
Reliability is based off of how consistent and stable my findings
are. My results of my test must be reliable in the idea that what I am
testing continuously gives me similar results, if not then my
research would not be considered reliable.
10. Proposed Sampling Design
Population is all of Cal State Long Beach, I will be contacting people through
random sampling and it will be disproportionate stratified in the
sampling size.
Population parameters are American children ages 4-13 years old any child
out side of that age range will not apply to my data and research. Also any
children with mental or physical disabilities will be excluded from my parameters
of my research population.
Population is considered to be “at risk” because they are under 18 years old
and considered minors. My Census of my population will be around 30 people.
Non-Random sampling design will be used through the Snowball
Sampling technique in order to talk to people of my population.
Sampling Frame is irrelevant because my population is considered to be “at
risk” so their names are held confidential.
11. Explanatory Research Methods
A Quantitative research method was used in conducting this research, through
direct surveys.
Used Survey Research for a population of 25 Parents of children ages 4-13.
The Data Collection Instrument used was a BMI calculator found online at
www.NIH.gov (National Institutes of Health)
For Internal Validity reasons, the same BMI calculator for my entire
population was used, there was no mortality rate, and only parents of children
between the correct age rang of 4-13 years were interviewed.
My data is reliable. It represented a normal distribution of a bell curve, the
closer it is to a bell curve the more generalized it can be to my population thus
External Validity was considered when findings of my sample were applied to
the population.
12. Survey Collection Issues:
Finding the right people that fit my population parameters.
(parents/ ages of their children)
Getting people to fill out the survey.
(Some people just didn't’t feel like it)
Explaining to them why I needed their child’s personal information.
(Some people felt protective of their child’s personal information)
Time
(People were always in a rush)
Some People didn't’t even know their child’s correct height and weight.
(They just threw out estimated numbers, which can directly effect the calculation of
the child’s actual BMI which directly affects my data)
13. H0: There is no correlation between SES and the obesity
rates in American children.
14. Data Analysis Output
Test used: Mann-Whitney in order to find a difference between two sub
groups using the following variables BMI(dv) and TYPE OF HOUSING
(iv).
Type of housing consisted of the two sub groups which were Section 8
housing, which indicates a low-SES, and Non-section 8 housing, which
indicates a higher-SES.
With an alpha of .05 the P-value of .002 states that the difference between
the BMI rates in American children living in Section 8 housing and the
BMI rates of American children living in non-section 8 housing is
significant.
15. We reject the null hypothesis of; no correlation between
SES and the obesity rates in American children, when looking
at my population size of 25 children, it is shown that being a
child in a house hold of lower SES you are more likely to be
overweight.
-Looking at the graph
on the right, the
Green represents
non-section 8 housing
the blue represents
section 8 housing.
The green skews to
the left which shows
children living in non-
section 8 housing are
less likely to be
overweight while the
blue skews to the
right showing the
children living in
section 8 are more
likely to be
overweight.
16. Discussion
Looking into the future, if I were to continue to peruse this research on obesity
levels in American Children I would make my census of my population much
bigger, 300 people rather than 25.
I would also like to personally conduct the research first hand with the children,
meaning I would like to take their height and weight measurements rather than
getting a parents estimated guess to avoid any bias that a parent may have
about their child possibly being perfect.
I would also like to know what the parent does for work rather than just
knowing their salary.
My next goal would be to actually collect data from all around California to
truly see the representation of my data to a large population.
Overall we found that socioeconomic status does have a direct relationship on
whether or not a child will be at risk for obesity.
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