Reference no: EM13809632

Sedentary lifestyle is predominant in our everyday life be it in workplace, school, social or homes and the fact is we have got accustomed to sitting down and doing many things forgetting the impact this is causing to our health. People fail to realize how valuable exercise is in their life and especially in improving their health and well-being. Sitting down on the computer with all focused attention and forgetting that we need to get up and even eat cause problems to many people.

The research question for the study conducted by Guesdes, et al (2010) is based on the following:

1.what is the result of the defining characteristics and related factors of sedentary lifestyle diagnosis in patients with high blood pressure?

2. What are the predictive value and possible predictors of the nursing diagnosis sedentary lifestyle in patients with high blood pressure?

The study looked at the validation of diagnostic groupings of the population being studied including aspects of their clinical situations. The study looked at diagnosis resulting from insufficient physical activity, intolerance of activity, fatigue, impaired physical mobility, self-care deficit.

My assessment: Using this article, I will bring out the important indicators and useful predictors for identification of sedentary lifestyle; demonstrated the benefits of physical fitness, verbalized preferences for activities that are to accomplish real training or exercises. I will point out appropriate measures needed to be undertaken by individuals to reverse situations caused by sedentary lifestyle ultimately leading to causes of health problems.

This study gathers together dietary behavior, physical activity and sedentary lifestyle in relation to the family socioeconomic status in a sample of Spanish children. It also uses a population-based cross-sectional study of 3-16 years children, derived using a single "family socioeconomic level" indicator (FSEL) from the level of studies, professional category and work situation of both parents.

It discusses how families with higher FSEL quartile were related to healthy dietary habits such as having breakfast, 5 meals per day and less snacking. The FSEL was related also to the consumption of whole grains, dairy products and fruits, but not to vegetables, meat or fish. According to this article, the greatest risk of excess weight was found in girls >6 years old, with a low FSEL, sedentary habits, that snack frequently and eat few proteins.

My assessment: I will use this in the body of my essay because family socioeconomic status seems to determine the level of physical activity, sedentary lifestyle and dietary behavior. The elaboration of a simple socioeconomic indicator may be useful to study factors involved in child obesity.

 Hypertension is a serious and common condition, the prevalence of which is set to rise given the increase in the ageing population, sedentary lifestyles and obesity. Diagnosis using clinic, ambulatory and home blood pressure (BP) monitoring, risk factors, BP targets, lifestyle advice, drug treatment and patient education are also discussed.

My assessment: I will use this information because it ties up with my first article with discusses the effect of sedentary lifestyles on hypertension.

This article discusses how cancer etiology is multifactorial and goes on to further show how risk factors comprise obesity, central adiposity, physical inactivity and excessive/ deficient intake of foods and/or nutrients with procarcinogenic/ protective effects. The authors aim to analyze the pattern of nutritional status, food intake and physical activity in a cohort of cancer patients. This study was conducted in 64 outpatients referred for Radiotherapy. Central obesity, which indicates moderate/high cardio-metabolic risk, was found in 78% of patients. Food frequency analysis showed a poor intake in vegetables and a high intake in meat and carbohydrates. Physical inactivity was prevalent.

My assessment: Since this article is tied with sedentary lifestyles, and shows a high prevalence of overweight/obesity, excessive fat mass and central obesity, and an inadequate diet, poor in protective foods and excessive in deleterious ones. Thus, these patients exhibit a high risk pattern for cancer development and for a poorer prognosis. The implementation of measures to promote balanced and protective diets and to encourage physical activity practice is urgently needed.

These authors discusses physical activity and its effects on obesity and health, showing that regular physical activity combined with improved physical fitness reduces the risk of obesity and several metabolic problems (e.g. diabetes mellitus, metabolic syndrome, heart disease) and also improves overall health. It also goes on to reveal how there is only limited scientific information available concerning the changes in the physical fitness profiles of youth. It is obvious that only slight changes observed in endurance-type physical activity can also be observed in aerobic capacity.

Today and in the future, a major public health concern for teenage and young adults is the combination of increasing body fatness together with decreasing physical fitness. In order to evaluate overall fitness level, it is particularly essential to examine both aerobic and neuromuscular fitness. Therefore, in clinical practice work and health behavior education, a person's physical fitness should be measured more frequently with various measures. Furthermore, population-based surveys should be combined with regular measurement of physical fitness to study sedentary lifestyles, particularly in young people.

My assessment: This article presents a review of current physical fitness profiles of male children, adolescents and young adults, which hopefully initiates further studies in this relevant scientific field. In addition, the importance of physical fitness level is evaluated in relation to obesity and health. Continued efforts to foster improved physical fitness and healthy lifestyles should be encouraged to combat these trends. Such efforts should include frequent and objective assessment of physical fitness rather than solely relying on subjective assessment of physical activity.

According to this article, physical activity is a lifestyle factor that is a key focus in chronic disease-related research, prevention, and interventions. Healthy People 2010 set goals of decreasing the prevalence of preventable diseases by encouraging healthier lifestyle patterns. Shifts toward more sedentary lifestyles have resulted in increases in life-limiting disease states, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and osteoporosis. Physical activity measurements have been used widely in research studies but are less commonly used in primary care. Measuring individuals' physical activity levels as part of the health assessment will enhance the provider's ability to engage in health promotion and suggest health protection interventions.

My assessment: The strengths, weaknesses, and potential applications to practice of physical activity measures are summarized in an effort to familiarize nurse practitioners (NPs) with commonly used tools and encourage integration of physical activity assessment into their current practice. I will use this article in the body of my paper to explain how NPs are in an ideal position to promote health by encouraging appropriate amounts of physical activity. Screening, health promotion, and disease prevention are part of the core competencies of NP practice established by the National Organization of Nurse Practitioner Faculties. Increased knowledge of physical activity measures will enhance the NP's ability to evaluate relevant physical activity research for use in evidence-based practice.