Paige Johnson

Metabolic Syndrome Prevalence and Correlates in a Worksite Wellness Program

The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome among faculty and staff who participated in a university wellness program. In addition, this study identified common correlates of metabolic syndrome in the participating employee population. Knowledge of behaviors and characteristics of individuals with metabolic syndrome is essential when developing health promotion strategies for them. Metabolic syndrome is unique in that it results from a clustering of risk factors that are difficult to address, and each additional risk factor increasingly affects health and well-being. A targeted, comprehensive approach is needed to counteract individual’s predisposition to metabolic syndrome. This research identified the association between employees’ metabolic risks and their demographic, physical, and psychosocial characteristics in an effort to determine metabolic syndrome prevalence, develop population-specific interventions, and decrease the risk of metabolic syndrome among workers.

Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Use of Health Care Services in Low-Income, Minority Preschool Children

Background. The association between weight, blood pressure, and use of health care services is not well understood in low-income, preschool children. Methods. This study was a secondary data analysis of previously collected data. Body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure were collected during health screenings, and information regarding use of health care services was collected by parent report. Results. Of the 660 children screened, 22.1% of the sample was classified as obese and 15.2% were considered overweight. Obese children had significantly more doctor’s visits than both overweight and normal weight children. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) also emerged a significant predictor of number of doctor’s visits within the last year. Neither were significantly associated with emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Conclusion. This study provides evidence that lowincome, preschool children have high rates of obesity. It also provides new information regarding the association between obesity, SBP, and physician visits in this population.

The Presence of Risk Factors for Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Underserved Preschool Children

This study identified risk factors (ie, high-risk racial/ethnic group, overweight/obesity, elevated blood pressure, elevated casual blood glucose, and the presence of acanthosis nigricans) for the development of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in underserved children with or without a family history of diabetes during annual preschool health screenings. Early identification of risk factors for the development of T2DM will allow for effective interventions to be implemented, thus, improving the long-term health-related quality of life of at-risk children.

Incorporating End-of-Life Content Into the Community Health Nursing Curriculum Using High-Fidelity Simulation

Because nurses are the healthcare providers who spend the most time with patients and their families at the end of life, baccalaureate nursing students should be adequately prepared for this role before they graduate. However, many undergraduate nursing programs fail to provide adequate end-of-life content, and many undergraduate nursing students often do not have the opportunity to care for dying patients during clinical rotations. Faculty in an undergraduate community health nursing course incorporated an end-of-life clinical experience using high-fidelity patient simulation to allow students to provide holistic care to a dying patient and his family in a safe learning environment. The simulator was used to play the role of the dying patient, and a course faculty member acted as the patient’s daughter. Students were given the role of the hospice nurse. At the end of the experience, students expressed a greater understanding of the pathophysiology at the end of life, as well as enhanced communication skills. Because many nursing students may not encounter an actively dying patient during their clinical rotations, high-fidelity patient simulation is an effective mechanism for providing students with exposure to end of life.

Increasing Nursing Students’ Knowledge of Health Promotion Through Community Engagement

The shift in health care toward primary health care and health promotion requires nurse educators to ensure students learn to practice the skill of health promotion. An ideal way in which to do this is with collaborative partnerships in community settings. The need to practice primary health care as part of an interprofessional team is also a growing trend. This article describes an innovative collaborative partnership with the city school system and nonprofit community partners to provide necessary interprofessional health screenings and health education to underserved community members. Through these partnerships, community health nursing students have the opportunity to participate in health screenings for children enrolled in the preschool program, provide health screenings and health education to healthy working adults, and engage in health promotion with school-age children by teaching the importance of practicing bicycle safety. These programs provide nursing students with unique opportunities for interprofessional collaboration while improving their health promotion, teaching, and communication skills. This approach serves as a model to guide nursing faculty members who need to provide students community health experiences that include health promotion and disease and injury prevention.

Elevated Blood Pressure in Low-Income, Rural Preschool Children is Associated with Maternal Hypertension during Pregnancy

ABSTRACT Hypertension (HTN) is a significant public health problem in adults, and rates of HTN are rising in children as well. The purpose of this study was to determine blood pressure (BP) and body mass index (BMI) levels in low-income, rural preschool children and investigate the relationship between child and maternal factors that impact BP and BMI in these children. Results indicated high rates of overweight/obesity and elevated BP levels in this sample. Maternal hypertension during pregnancy also emerged as a predictor of elevated BP in their children.