Analysis of Newspaper Research Report Results Essay

A report recently published in the San Jose Mercury News advises the parents of obese children do not see their children while obese.

An analysis of the study, the methods, and its particular findings is an important exercise in understanding the meaning and relevance coming from all research. The cabability to read research critically and understand how it absolutely was generated permits us to identify likely design imperfections or to know the quality of it is conclusions and make suitable use of the information. The study was conducted by using a internet study firm intended for the College or university of Michigan.

Its target was to determine the percentage of parents who noticed their children happen to be obese and also to compare that to the percentage of parents which in turn not know their children happen to be obese. The participants were selected simply by simple randomly sampling and were considered a representative test of American parents. The sample included 2060 respondents (Runk, 2007). The information appeared to be gathered through net surveys. The research was observational and assessed continuous data sets such as height, pounds, age, and gender with the participant’s children (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003).

A body mass index more than or corresponding to the ninety fifth percentile when compared to children precisely the same age and gender was your criteria used for obesity through this study. The data from these kinds of children was then as opposed the countrywide percentage of youngsters considered obese by the same standards. Qualitative data related to whether or not the father and mother thought their children were slightly overweight, very overweight, or about right was likewise collected (Runk, 2007). Although it was not particularly stated, We hypothesize your children studied had been broken down into bins by simply age and gender.

The first bin comprised of obese girls half a dozen to eleven years old plus the second trash can obese males six to11 years old. Pertaining to the doze to 17 year old group the initially bin included obese girls 12 to 17 years old and the second bin included obese kids 12 to 17 years of age. I further hypothesize the parents of children in each group were binned according to their response to the qualitative analysis of their child’s weight. For every single age group the first bin included parents who answered very overweight, the second bin included parents who have answered slightly overweight, and the third bin included parents who answered about normal (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003).

The results in the 6 to 14 year old group revealed 15% of the kids in this age group met conditions for unhealthy weight. This getting was not substantially different from the national physique which reviews 17% coming from all children in the usa are obese by the standard of this examine. Thirteen percent of the father and mother of obese children from this age group grouped their children since very obese, 37% classified youngsters as slightly overweight, and 43% reported youngsters were regarding right (Runk, 2007). The findings in the 12 to 17 year old group unveiled 10% of kids in this age group met conditions for unhealthy weight.

This locating is considerably lower than the national number for obese children. Twenty five one percent of the parents of obese children from this age group reported their children as being very obese, 56% reported their children as slightly overweight, and 11% reported youngsters were about right (Runk, 2007). Researchers concluded equally age groups beneath reported the incidence and severity of obesity as compared with the national figure stating 17% of all kids meet the criteria for obesity layed out in this study (Runk, 2007). I agree the severity of obesity was greatly below reported in both teams.

However , I disagree together with the assertion the incidence of obesity was under reported in the six to 10 year old group. I believe the difference between 15% and 17% could conveniently be a coincidence. It may also have got resulted since the internet was used to collect data and poor children are more likely to be obese and less more likely to have internet access (Vieweg, Johnston, Fernandez & Pandurangi, 2007).

I do acknowledge that obesity seemed to be noticeably under reported in the doze to 18 year old group. A statistically significant difference (about 7%) occurred between that age groups 10% incidence as well as the 17% countrywide incidence of childhood overweight (Runk, 2007). Such a sizable difference can be unlikely to become coincidence and supports the idea that obesity was beneath reported through this age group or confounding was present (Bennett, Briggs, & Triola, 2003).

Critical analysis of this data uncovers many strong points and a few significant weaknesses in the design and implementation with this study. The goal is usually clearly mentioned, to determine the percentage of parents who also realized youngsters are obese and to evaluate it towards the percentage of parents that do not really realize youngsters are obese. This goal was obviously accomplished for all your study individuals. The source in the study is a University of Michigan that can be considered a trusted, neutral source. The testing is sufficiently large, yet whether or not it is representative of years as a child obesity in this country is questionable.

An important problem with the sample is out there as a result of creating an online business as the setting. Excessive proportions of obese youngsters are socioeconomically disadvantaged and may not have internet access. The internet setting probably will account for the apparent underneath reporting of obese children noted in this study and therefore is a possible source of confounding.

The qualifying criterion for weight problems is very well defined and could be easily scored in all the subject matter, but I actually remain worried a significant portion of obese kids may have been accidentally omitted coming from consideration. Eventually, however , My spouse and i find there is a strong practical use just for this data. Health-related providers are created conscious of the truth that the mom and dad are, more often than not, really unaware their child is obese. This data supports the decision to open a dialogue with parents and provide teaching regarding the dangers and prevention of childhood obesity the clear course of action.

Sources: Bennett, T., Briggs, Watts., & Triola, M. (2003). Statistical Thinking for EverydayLife, Second Copy. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Addison Wesley. RetrievedDecember five, 2007, coming from University of Phoenix useful resource HCS 438.

Runk, G. (2007, Dec 24). Father and mother don’t recognize their kids are fat. MercuryNews (San Jose).

Retrieved December 28, 2007, fromhttp://www.mercurynews.com/healthandscience/ci_7799918?nclick_check=1.