Date of Conferral

2021

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

School

Nursing

Advisor

Amy Braswell

Abstract

Obesity, a common disease among young people in the United States, is defined as aBMI of 30 or more. Among the most prevalent noncommunicable diseases, obesity is reported as a significant public health issue for the general population. The management of younger adults’ obesity requires advanced skills and knowledge to promote healthier lifestyles while directly addressing the factors that contribute to the condition. As a result, this project was designed to evaluate the staff perception of an evidence-based educational program on weight reduction among young adult females (ages 18-25) diagnosed with obesity at outpatient clinic in a Northeastern mid-Atlantic States. This project addressed specific practice-focused questions regarding the importance of teaching outpatient behavior patterns and the understanding and application of guidelines among medical healthcare providers after participation in a 6-week staff educational program using the United States Preventive Services Task Force behavioral interventions guidelines and the middle–range theory of weight management model. The program was provided to a panel of 13 clinical experts-pre and post questionnaire assessed efficacy of the educational program which showed a statistically significant increase in subject matter knowledge after taking part in the program (p=.001). This result indicated an improvement in the staff’s perceptions of USPSTF guidelines and an increase in awareness, understanding, and skills. Recommendations are made not to limit the weight-loss educational programs to the project site but to extend knowledge to healthcare staff at other clinics and hospitals that would benefit from a program to meet the needs of their community for weight loss.

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