Paper
Friday, 21 July 2006
This presentation is part of : Evidence-Based Nursing Implementation Initiatives
The Third Component of Evidence-Based Research: Patient-Related Issues!
Leigh Small, PhD, RN, CPNP, Pediatrics, Arizona State University College of Nursing, Tempe, AZ, USA, Anne Strasser, RN, MS, PNP, Visiting Nurses Service, Rochester, NY, USA, and Bernadette Mazurek Melnyk, PhD, RN, CPNP/NPP, FAAN, College of Nursing, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA.
Learning Objective #1: At the close of this presentation the attendee will be able to list the three components of evidece-based practice.
Learning Objective #2: Following this presentation the atendee will be able to discuss the potential impact of patient preferences or issues on the conduct of evidence-based research
   Currently, it is estimated that 26-30% of all American children have a BMI% >85% and thus are overweight or “at risk” for overweight. This health epidemic has spawned a plethora of research and media coverage to support the development and testing of intervention strategies that may result in healthy weight maintenance and healthy lifestyles for children and families. Despite the amount of available information, there has been limited research conducted with young children (4-7 years of age) and their parents. Therefore, a thorough search for research conducted with school-aged children was undertaken to develop an innovative intervention strategy to be tested with young children and their parents
  Recently, this evidence-based intervention was pilot tested with young preschool children identified as overweight or “at risk” for overweight by an evaluation of risk factors and their parents (n=14). The children engaged with the material and demonstrated an understanding of this cognitive/behavioral intervention; however, the planned parent sessions resulted in a focus group meeting during which parents shared concerns and difficulties regarding their preschool children’s dietary patterns. The focus of their perceived difficulties was very different than what was expected as outlined by the available research literature. These parents were most interested in strategies to encourage their preschool child to eat as they struggled with the normal developmental stage in which young children’s appetites decline and food preferences develop. None of the parents perceived their children’s activity level to be problematic.
   Often available research evidence is limited by the sample size or a specific sub-population included.  Adaptation of intervention strategies to different populations (i.e., different age groups, different cultural groups) should begin with obtaining focus group input, a step called elicitation research. Without this necessary first step of elicitation research, well-intentioned evidence-based intervention trials are less likely to result in positive findings.

See more of Evidence-Based Nursing Implementation Initiatives
See more of The 17th International Nursing Research Congress Focusing on Evidence-Based Practice (19-22 July 2006)