NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

Name

Capella university

NURS-FPX 6026 Biopsychosocial Concepts for Advanced Nursing Practice 2

Prof. Name

Date

Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

This policy addresses obesity in low-income African American communities by improving food access, encouraging physical activity, and providing mental health support. It involves an interprofessional approach with nurses, dietitians, and mental health professionals to develop community-based solutions. Strategies include expanding SNAP, creating urban gardens, and launching mobile health clinics. The goal is to reduce obesity rates by improving health outcomes and promoting health equity.

Policy Proposal and Guidelines

To combat obesity in low-income African American communities, this policy will provide access to nutritious food, encourage physical activity, and provide mental health services. Food deserts, limited healthcare access, and insufficient recreational spaces exacerbate obesity in this population. As a result, chronic diseases such as hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease are more prevalent (Lofton, 2023).

The policy proposes an interprofessional approach involving nurses, dietitians, public health experts, social workers, mental health professionals, and community leaders to develop and implement community-based initiatives collaboratively. These initiatives include expanding access to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), creating urban gardens, enhancing local food pantries, and launching physical activity programs such as school-based initiatives like “Let’s Move!” and community walking programs. Additionally, mental health support services will be integrated to address emotional eating and stress-related behaviors contributing to obesity.

NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

To ensure effective implementation, the policy outlines specific guidelines: First, it will enhance the availability of healthy food through cooperation with local agencies, as well as raise the number of available SNAP benefits (Houghtaling et al., 2022). Residents of the food desert can access healthy produce from urban gardens and food pantries. Second, exercise will be promoted through school-based programs for physical education and neighborhood walking trials to make physical activity achievable (Yuksel et al., 2023). Third, mental health services such as handle management shall be offered with a view of handling the psychic aspect of obesity. Lastly, engaging key community stakeholders would be implemented to guarantee that the interventions proposed would be economically and culturally appropriate in that region and strengthen cooperation between people (Darling et al., 2023).

The policy is viable within existing healthcare and community infrastructures. It builds on existing systems, such as SNAP and interdisciplinary healthcare teams, and utilizes local resources to surmount environmental barriers using urban gardens and community leaders. Team communication, cultural competence, and building trust will minimize possible barriers, such as communication and behavior change. Policymakers will need to work together to sustain and make the program successful in the long run. By implementing these strategies, this policy aims to reduce obesity rates, improve health outcomes, and address health inequities in low-income African American communities, ultimately leading to more equitable and effective healthcare delivery.

Advocacy for Policy Implementation

The current state of obesity-related outcomes in low-income African American communities is alarming, with obesity rates significantly higher than the national average. It contributes to chronic health conditions such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension. These health disparities are due to food insecurity, limited access to health care, and environmental variables that make it difficult for the population to engage in physical activity. According to The National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES), African American adults have a 49.7% rate of obesity, especially among women.

The level of care is compromised due to a lack of accessible and affordable health care, preventive services, and cultural competence, worsening health challenges (Lofton, 2023). Improvement in outcomes and quality of care for this vulnerable population is of paramount importance if the current trends in rising obesity rates and related diseases are to be reversed. If these disparities continue without being addressed, there will be continued rises in health care costs, preventable disease, and diminished quality of life in the community. It thus requires an improvement in working towards health equity to ensure that everyone, regardless of socio-economic status, can access the resources and support needed to lead healthy lives.

NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

The proposed policy focuses on alternative interventions to address these challenges. These include establishing mobile health clinics offering screening, nutrition counseling, and health education directly within communities (Stapelfeldt et al., 2024).  In addition, farm-to-school partnerships with local schools will be established to increase access to healthy food and promote healthy eating behaviors among children. Strategies encouraging employers to provide workplace wellness programs, including fitness incentives and more nutritious meal options, will empower adults to make healthier lifestyle choices (Bezzina et al., 2022).

Mental health will be addressed by providing community-based counseling services that focus on trauma and other stressors contributing to emotional eating and other poor health behaviors. This policy addresses systemic barriers by creating sustainable, accessible solutions that empower individuals to make healthier choices and engage in preventive care (Marwood et al., 2023). While some may emphasize individual responsibility, the policy acknowledges the critical role of environmental and socio-economic factors in shaping health outcomes. By addressing these root causes, the policy will enhance the overall quality of care and health outcomes in these communities.

Interprofessional Approach to Policy Implementation

Implementing the suggested policy to address obesity and associated health inequities in low-income African American communities requires an interprofessional approach. To address the behavioral and systemic problems that underlie obesity, healthcare experts such as nurses, nutritionists, social workers, public health specialists, and mental health specialists should collaborate to develop a thorough, multidisciplinary strategy.

The most important interdisciplinaintegratingces involve collaborative care models integrating multiple expertise to develop personalized, holistic care plans (Brennan et al., 2021). The education and personalized nut. At the same time, the advice of nurses and dietitians is important, while social workers will address social determinants of health by linking families to community resources for food assistance and safe places to be active. 

Mental health professionals will address the psychological contributors to obesity, such as through counseling on emotional eating and stress-based behaviors. The professionals in public health will advocate for policy changes and participate directly with local stakeholders in placing community-based initiatives such as urban gardens and mobile clinics, reaching out to specific targets: those suffering from obesity within low-income neighborhoods (Worafi et al., 2023).

NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

The care will be less fragmented because of this team approach and, therefore, more effective. Because all three physical, mental, and social obesity are addressed at the same time, every professional involved works together to provide comprehensive, coordinated care to people living with obesity. This will help optimize resource utilization, particularly in underserved communities, and reduce delays in intervention that characterize isolated healthcare systems.

Smooth communication within the team will facilitate care delivery and avoid duplication of services, adding value to the care provided for the person with obesity. The approach will also be more effective in targeting the root causes of obesity and effecting sustainable lifestyle changes. Each professional brings expert knowledge to the table, which enables the formulation of culturally relevant evidence-based strategies (Pazsa et al., 202).

The involvement of community leaders ensures local ownership, thereby enhancing the chances of success and sustainability of obesity interventions. The overall knowledge about the long-term impacts of community-based interventions for obesity prevention, about the inclusion of mental health treatments-therapy for emotional eating and stress management, is low. Further studies should be conducted to analyze the efficacy of these combined approaches and identify further improvements. It will help to refine obesity interventions for wider application and improved health outcomes.

Conclusion 

This policy aims to address obesity within low-income African American communities through collaboration and an interprofessional approach. It addresses systemic barriers and provides sustainable solutions that improve access to healthy foods, physical activity, and mental health support. These proposed strategies reflect practical, community-driven interventions aimed at reducing obesity rates and improving health outcomes. The final goal is to promote health equity in striving for long-lasting improvement in healthcare delivery for vulnerable populations.

References

Bezzina, A., Ashton, L., Watson, T., & James, C. L. (2022). Workplace wellness programs targeting weight outcomes in men: A scoping review. Obesity Reviews. https://doi.org/10.1111/obr.13410 

Brennan, C. R., Dzaye, O., Davis, D., Blaha, M., & Eckel, R. H. (2021). Comprehensive care models for cardiometabolic disease. Current Cardiology Reports, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11886-021-01450-1 

Darling, K. E., Hayes, J. F., Evans, E. W., Sanchez, I., Chachra, J., Grenga, A., Elwy, A. R., & Jelalian, E. (2023). Engaging stakeholders to adapt an evidence-based family healthy weight program. Translational Behavioral Medicine.  https://doi.org/10.1093/tbm/ibac113 

Houghtaling, B., Englund, T., Chen, S., Pradhananga, N., Kraak, V. I., Serrano, E., Harden, S. M., Davis, G. C., & Misyak, S. (2022). Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)-authorized retailers received a low score using the business impact assessment for obesity and population-level nutrition (BIA-Obesity) tool. BMC Public Health, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13624-9 

NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

Lofton, H., Ard, J. D., Hunt, R. R., & Knight, M. G. (2023). Obesity among African American people in the United States: A review. Obesity, 31(2), 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23640 

Marwood, J., Brown, T., Kaiseler, M., Clare, K., Feeley, A., Blackshaw, J., & Ells, L. J. (2023). Psychological support within tier 2 adult weight management services, are we doing enough for people with mental health needs? A mixed‐methods survey. Clinical Obesity. https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12580

Pazsa, F. M., Said, C. M., Haines, K. J., Silburn, E., Shackell, M., & Hitch, D. (2022). The lived experience of patients with obesity at a metropolitan public health setting. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12913-022-08928-w 

Stapelfeldt, P. M., Sina, & Kerkemeyer, L. (2024). Assessing the accessibility and quality of mobile health applications for the treatment of obesity in the German healthcare market. Frontiers in Health Services, 4. https://doi.org/10.3389/frhs.2024.1393714 

Worafi, Y. M. A., Ming, L. C., Dhabali, A. A., & Shami, A. M. A. -. (2023). Obesity in developing countries. Springer EBooks, 1–42. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74786-2_298-1 

NURS FPX 6026 Assessment 2 Biopsychosocial Population Health Policy Proposal

Yuksel, H. S., Şahin, F. N., Maksimovic, N., Drid, P., & Bianco, A. (2020). School-Based intervention programs for preventing obesity and promoting physical activity and fitness: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(1), 347. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17010347