Research Proposal: Childhood Obesity

This research proposal aims to investigate the factors contributing to childhood obesity in Ealing, London. It outlines the research question, provides background information, and details the methodology, including primary and secondary research methods, sampling techniques, and ethical considerations. The proposal also reflects on the challenges and lessons learned during the research process.

Ethics and research in professional context
(Research proposal)

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RESEARCH/STATEMENT QUESTION
This research is conducted to determine the major factors which causes obesity among
the children between the age of 6-15 years. This investigation will support in determining the
number of factors that are present in Ealing which causes obesity among children at very young
age and affect their health as well as well being. So that proper measures can be identify to avoid
such risks from the life of children and provide them with a healthy life. This investigation also
support in addressing the research question which is given below:
“ What are the factors that causes obesity among children at younger age of 6-15 in Ealing?”.
So in order to perform investigation over this topic a specific area is London has been
taken which is named as Ealing. The reason to select this is that majority of children are
suffering from obesity in England, but it is very difficult to collect information over the whole
country (Child obesity, 2019). Hence a specific city i.e. Ealing has been chosen to conduct this
investigation as the city rated as highest in terms of obesity. Data shows that there are over 30 to
40% of childern suffers from this problem (Obesity in Ealing, 2017)..
INTRODUCTION
According to Yvette Brazier obesity or overweight is defined as a situation of abnormal
or excessive generation of Fat within a body of individual that is excess then the 20 % of a
person's ideal body weight (Obesity, 2018). This is basically generated due to intake of unhealthy
food or less involvement of children in physical activities. In order to conduct research,
investigator focuses toward deeply analysing the concept of obesity and various factor which
causes obesity among children. Childhood obesity is a serious medical condition which affects
adolescents and children (McDonagh and et. al., 2014). Children who are obese are above the
normal weight according to their height and age. In general words it can be said that childhood
obesity is excess of body fat. According to a study children of age group 6 – 15 are classified as
obese when the percentage of their body fat is at least 25% for males and 30% for females.
Childhood obesity is one of the serious health problem of 21st century. The main reason behind
obesity in children is imbalance of energy intake and expenditure. The other reasons are adopting
unhealthy lifestyle and preferences of dietary intake. In addition to this, genetic background is
also important in determining the cause of childhood obesity.
The various risk that contribute to childhood obesity are physical activity, dietary intake
and sedentary behaviour. Lifestyle of children is a major factor that is reason behind childhood
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obesity. Genetics are also main factor for the cause of obesity. Another reason for obesity in
children from the age of 6-15 is basal metabolism rate which is expenditure of energy for normal
resting functions. Obese children generally have lower basal metabolic rates. The present
research is based on determination of factors for childhood obesity. In this research, the main
aim is to know about measures that could be done for improving health of children at young age
(Marseglia and et. al., 2015). The level of childhood obesity are increasing rapidly in countries
around the world. There are different health problems related to obesity that will harm children.
BACKGROUND AND RATIONAL OF STUDY
Childhood obesity is described as the medical problem that is faced by children of age
between 5-16 because of their overweight or excess body fat (Childhood obesity, 2014). Obesity
of an individual is measured by using the body mass index(BMI). This is determination of height
and weight of a person. Childhood obesity is increasing globally and it is a serious problem that
has to be solved (Skinner and et. al., 2018). There are various efforts made by healthcare
associations for improving the health of children and reducing the case of obesity in children.
National Health Educational Standards have developed for establishing, promoting and
supporting health behaviours of individuals. There are different strategies sanctioned by health
and human services department to reduce the effects of childhood obesity like increase of
physical activity among youths and adolescents. Schools should increase physical activity for
improving health of children. This research will show the qualitative review of current factors
that increase the risk of childhood obesity. It includes current intervention efforts that will help in
reducing this serious health issue among children and adolescents (Kelsey and et. al., 2014). This
project is done to know about childhood obesity at a local level considering Ealing. Children of
Southwark have the highest level of childhood obesity. The potential health problem for
childhood obesity are diabetes, eating disorders such as bulimia or binge eating, orthopaedic
disorders, liver problems, respiratory disorders such as blocked airways, restrictions in chest
wall, sleep apnoea and cardiomyopathy. In this regard, various aims and objectives are made for
this research by the investigator. This will help in guiding research team to conduct an effective
research to analyse the factors of childhood obesity. By evaluation of this research, the
researcher will get to know about various organisations and associations that contribute in fixing
this health problem of individuals (Williams and et. al., 2015). It will also provide knowledge
about diseases caused by obesity and harms of it to an individual's body. Ealing is an area of
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West London, England and the administrative center of the London Borough of ealing. Thus, this
research is conducted to create awareness about this issue and make people to adopt preventive
measures to control childhood obesity.
AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
Main aim of conducting this report is “What are the factors that causes obesity among
children at younger age of 6-15 in Ealing.” In order to accomplish this objective researcher need
to determine number of measures that could be taken to improve the health of children at very
young age.
The main objective behind conducting this report are mentioned below:
 To learn about the concept of obesity
 To determine several factors that causes obesity
 To identify the factors that obesity have over children's health and their well-beings in
Ealing.
METHODOLOGY AND JUSTIFICATION
Primary Research:
Primary research is an first hand study report. It is a process of collecting data and
information to gather data. Researcher use this method to address a specific research research
problems. There are some common methodology that are involved in the primary research in
order to collect data, that are email, questionnaire, personal and telephone interview, internet,
focus group interviewing and more. All these mode can effectively aid researcher to conduct
their research in well defined and structured (Gurnani, Birken and Hamilton, 2015). According
to Yu, Leese and Donnan, (2013) to primary research is said to be one of the most authenticated
form of research. While primary research is best effective mode to collect data but it also a
expensive way to conduct along with facing low rate of response form respondents. Researcher
can effectively conduct their research in both quantitative and qualitative manner and can
address issue in well defined manner. Along with this, in this form of research researcher can
enjoy full control. Major disadvantage of primary research is that it is bit expensive and require a
lot of time to gather data and raw information. Mentioned below there are some basic form
which is included in primary research:
Interviews:
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There are mainly two types of interview method namely, telephonic and face-to-face
interview with the help of which data and informations can be effectively collected in-depth
manner. In present research, researcher can conduct interview form respondents in order to get
their actual actual opinions and attitude from respondents in more specific way. In order to
conduct interview researcher is required to effectively persuade their respondent as to get their
answers in complete way (Ng and et. al., 2014). This will benefit them to conduct their research
in more efficient way while ensuring efficiency of research.
Secondary research: It is a method which comprises of already existing data. This research
project will be based on primary as well as secondary and they both help in gathering related to
the resepective research topic. In secondary research data is in summarised and assembled form
to enhance overall efficiency of research. They comprises of research material which is in
published form either in documents or research report. These documents are present within
websites, public libraries and data which has been obtained from surveys which has been
recorded somewhere. This data is also stored with non-governmental agencies and government
which they use for carrying out research and can be derived by them at any moment of time
(Grossman and et. al., 2017). It is more cost-effective when compared with other methods of
collection of data this is the reason that it is mostly used by researchers. It is also referred to as
desk research as data can be collected by retrieved by sitting behind the desk. Some methods
which are used to collect secondary research methods are data availability on internet. It is one of
the most common method for gathering information and can be downloaded by usage of internet.
Apart from this, this data is available free of cost or negligible amount.
Another method is by government and non-government agencies. Like it can be collected
from small business development centres, UK Census bureau and many others (Witten, 2016).
They have relevant and valuable data which organisations can use. Other sources are public
libraries as they have copies of research which were carried out earlier. They are major sources
of documents and information which can be pull out. Educational institutes are major sources as
most of researches are carried out within universities and colleges as compared to other sectors
(Frederick, Snellman and Putnam, 2014). Commercial information sources such as radio,
magazines, journals, TV stations and local newspapers for gathering information. Organisations
can obtain data which is relevant to them. This data can assist organisation to gather information
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which is validated by different sources. Questionnaires and sample which are part of primary
reaserch are discussed while literature review is part of seconday reaserch.
Questionnaire/ Surveys:
This is a type of research method in which various set of pre framed questions is asked
from sample size respondents. Questionnaire is a form of research in which a set of formative
questions is asked in order to draw out answers for a specific subject. It is one of the cost
effective and efficient mode of collecting data and information. Apart of having advantages there
are some basic disadvantage in this form of research method, that include low rate of respondent
responses, misinterpretation of questions and more (Morgen and Sørensen, 2014). As this
method of data collection is one of the cost effective measure researcher can effectively able to
collect data in well defined and formative manner in order to conduct research in best effective
way.
Quantitative Research:
Quantitative research is systematic empirical investigation of information with the help of
statistical or mathematical techniques. The objective of this investigation is to monitor the
information and determine the outcomes from a selected growup of individuals of choice
(Fatima, Doi and Mamun, 2015). Also, its objective is to analyse the incidence of several ideas
an thoughts in a selected population. This investigation can be measured and monitored
stastistically. It is ustilized monitored skill, abilities, ideas and other expresed components. Some
methods consists different ways of surveys, interviews, systematic observations and longituinal
studies.
Qualitative Research:
It is type of market research method in which more focus is on getting data and
information by conversational communication and open-ended manner (Pardeck, 2016). There
are different type of qualitative research method such as, ethnographic research, content analysis,
case study and in-depth interview. In this present research, researcher is taking advantage of
qualitative method in order to collect and information in order to gather related information.
Sampling:
Investigator chose Random sampling method, it fits in this present research beacuse
through this method is easy to use and accuratlely represent data. This involves setting certain
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group of respondents to collect data. For this, researcher select total number of 30 respondents to
collect information and data in order to effectively conduct research.
Literature search strategy
Literature sources for this project will be search by searching key words on internet
(Brownell and Walsh, 2017). It will help in finding relevant articles and required content. Key
words can be health, children, obesity etc. Help from various databases like Social care online
and few trustworthy websites like The World health Organisation (WHO) will be taken for
assuring quality of literature used in projects. Along with this, primary and secondary both
method help in gathering data related to the objectives of resaerch. Thus, primary data is
gathered with the help of observation and secondary will be through books, journals, articles and
so on.
ETHICAL AND BIAS ISSUES
It has been analysed that ethical issues plays a crucial role in every single research when
it comes to pull out favourable outcomes. Every report should address ethical issues while
preparation of report. Some of ethical issues related to proposed reaserch are as follows :-
 Reasercher has ensure to respondent that their information will not going to be shared
with third party as well as not discolused with others.
 The data collected in the reserach is authentic and taken with approval of participants to
the given research study.
The researcher should avoid plagiarism in the report as it a punishable offence in
academics. Lastly on the basis of bias, data which has been collected from various sources like
organisations, government departments and think tanks will help to gather more details related
to baiseness. It has been observed that think tanks are mostly implied towards certain political
parties at the time of conducting research (Apovian, 2016). Some bias issues related to children
obesity can be depression, anxiety, and more consumption of junk food. These two factors
ethical and bias issues leaves impact on objectivity of data. Bias issues when utilised will be
considered as an area of limitation.
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RESEARCH TIMETABLE
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REFLECTION
In my view, the task of writing about my own experience can be done in a better way by
using Gibbs reflective cycle. First part of this process is ''Description''. I basically worked on
research proposal where my topic was to identify and analyse the impact of obesity on children's
health and their well-being in Ealing. First of all, I made an aim and after that I made few
objectives. This task was very important as my whole research is based on it. I found it
challenging because I was confused that whether aim and objectives are correct or not but after
exploring different aims and objectives on internet, I reached to a final stage of this task. My
tutor helped me in understanding the format of research. I wasn't clear about what can be written
in introduction part, rationale etc. but after attending few sessions I was clear about how one can
write in content in various parts of research. Writing the part relating to ''background and
rationale'' was easy for me because I am seriously concerned about increasing obesity in
children. Part of methodology and justification was most difficult to me as I was not much aware
of the content which should be written in it. This proposal is done by conducting secondary
research because it was allowed to me to explore more information and this form of research can
be used by any researcher who want to complete a research in less time period.
When I starting working on this topic I was bit nervous because I wasn't to confident.
Their are many incidents where a research fail to found the content which he/she is looking for
(Ahmad and Imam, 2015). I also faced this problem at the time of writing background and
introduction part. When someone has more options then the chances of confusion also arises.
The deciding relating what method of research should I select was pressurising because I was not
sure about which method is more suitable for this research. Both primary and secondary method
has their own benefits and drawbacks but deciding which one is more suitable for this topic was
a big burden. Overall, I got stuck in many problems but these troubles helped me in learning
many new things. I learnt about different types of research, literatures and ethical ways of
conducting research. Beside this technical knowledge, this proposal helped in me improving my
skills and behaviour. It taught me few tricks regarding pressure handling and how to keep myself
calm when things does not go in my way.
Besides these positives, I also gained few bad experiences at the time of working on this
proposal. Lack of knowledge and experience consumed many hours from my daily schedule. I
made few mistake at the time of conducting research like finding information from those sources
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which are not trustable. Another mistake was to get confused at the time of writing content as I
was trying to considers points from more then one sources. Initially, I felt that it will improve
quality of my research but later it became a huge trouble for me.
Mistakes can be committed by anyone but most important part in the whole process is to
learn from own and other's mistakes. When I used source non trustworthy sources in research
and it reduced important of my research then I learnt that taking more time is better then doing
something wrong. Instead of completing my research in less time, I could spend more time of it
and find reliable source at first place. If I get a chance to work on similar kind of project in future
then I will try to overcome the weaknesses. I will find limited by reliable source and whole
research will be based on those sources. I will try to avoid the mistakes which I committed in this
research as learning from past.
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