Creating a Healthier You:
Combatting Obesity in Phenix City,
Alabama
AUBURN UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF NURSING
Elizabeth Edwards, Ashton Leger, Dana
Sizemore, Nan Timberlake
Phenix City Population
Phenix City covers 24.8 square miles
As of 2013, the total population consists of 37,498 citizens.
According to the 2010 census, the population is 48.7% white, 46.6%
black, and 4.0% Hispanic
◦ Every other race makes up < 1.0%
The median age is 32.6 years old
23.3% of the population were recorded as living below the poverty line
between 2008 and 2012
In 2013, the number of obese individuals in Russell County numbered
11,490, which is 32.5% of the county’s population
Healthy People 2020
Our Healthy People 2020 objective is under the health topic Nutrition
and Weight Status.
One of the HP2020 overarching goals is to “promote health and reduce
chronic disease risk through the consumption of healthful diets and
achievement and maintenance of healthy body weights.”
Our specific objective, as set by HP 2020, is to reduce the proportion of
adults who are obese.
◦ Their target is 30.5% obesity nationally, which would indicate a 10%
improvement from 33.9% in 2008.
Who Are We Trying to Reach?
Our target community is Phenix City, Alabama.
Our target population is obese individuals in Phenix City, as well as
those who are at risk for becoming obese.
◦ We are mainly reaching out to adults, but we are also targeting young
children and adolescents since health promotion in youth can prevent
obesity in adulthood.
Community Statistics
Housing: Generally, the homes were in adequate condition.
◦ However, several neighborhoods were extremely cramped and did not have much
space for people to run/exercise due to narrow streets and a lack of sidewalks.
Open Space
◦ There are a great deal of open areas and parks, most commonly surrounded by
trees or fences.
◦ There are also more densely packed areas surrounded by buildings.
◦ The Chattahoochee River separates Phenix City and Columbus, GA.
Common Areas
◦ Places commonly frequented by residents include the Riverwalk, Idle Hour Park,
and various night-life attractions and shopping centers in neighboring Columbus.
Transportation
◦ Most people appeared to have a car, or at least a bike.
◦ Public transportation is available, but it costs money and does not run before or
after regular business hours.
Community Statistics Cont’d.
Service Centers
◦ There are many parks and recreation centers available for public use.
◦ The Russell County Health Department is located in Phenix City.
Stores
◦ Stadium Plaza is a popular place to shop, as well as the Peachtree Mall in Columbus.
◦ For groceries, there are several Piggly Wigglys located throughout the city, as well as smaller
convenience stores.
Religion
◦ There is a wide variety of religious institutions, but by far the most popular is Baptist
Churches.
Health and Morbidity
◦ Obese people can be seen walking throughout the community.
◦ The nearest hospital is in Columbus, GA.
Community Diagnosis
Our Community Nursing Diagnosis is as follows:
◦ Risk for imbalanced nutrition: more than body requirements, among the
residents in Phenix City, Alabama related to a lack of services at the local
Russell County Health Department, a lack of access to the available services
due to financial constraints, and a deficit of knowledge about nutrition and
exercise to achieve and/or maintain a healthy body weight.
◦ There is a need for further improvement and implementation of new
services, programs, and screenings.
Project Intervention
Our intervention will focus on the primary prevention of obesity.
We will be going to Glenn’s Pharmacy in Phenix City.
◦ While we are there, we will have a table set up and will be passing out handouts to the
pharmacy’s customers.
We will have two separate handouts—one geared toward children and adolescents
and the other geared toward adults
The objectives of our intervention are to empower the patients to:
1.
Understand BMI and its implications for overall health and well-being
2.
Establish and maintain a healthy diet through an understanding of the
importance of portion control and moderation
3.
Establish and maintain an appropriate exercise routine
4.
Be aware of facilities in the community that can help them carry out a healthy
lifestyle.
Support for the Intervention
Articles found during research emphasized the importance of teaching
about crucial points in health, and explaining that health begins with a
lifestyle change. Some key points include...
The importance of understanding BMI
◦ Evidence suggests that tracking BMI annually allows primary care providers to
recognize dramatic changes in patients’ weight relative to their height.
Maintaining appropriate and adequate nutrition
◦ Individuals improve health outcomes when making lifestyle changes with others.
◦ Children are impressionable. The food industry spends $1.6 billion marketing its
products to children and adolescents, and only about 3% of that amount is for
healthy products such as bottled water, fruits, and vegetables.
Partaking in regular exercise
◦ Routine exercising 30 mins to an hour most days of the week greatly improves
health outcomes and decreases risk for morbidities.
Delivery of the Intervention
When planning how to educate our patients, we decided to take a
multifaceted approach to accommodate patients’ different learning
styles, needs, and preferences.
◦ We will provide an educational handout with relevant images, graphs, and
statistics about BMI, nutrition, and physical exercise.
◦ We will also hold an interactive discussion on...
◦ Appropriate food choices
◦ Portion control through the use of MyPlate
◦ Recreation opportunities in the community
◦ Other available resources for overall health
Evaluation
Expected outcomes:
◦ Understanding by individuals of what health is and the role BMI plays in
evaluating health.
◦ Empowerment of individuals and families to make small changes to everyday
routines to improve health status.
◦ Increased knowledge of resources available in the community to help
individuals, and the community as a whole achieve a desirable health status.
It is our aim, that the culmination of the expected outcomes bring about a
positive effect that not only improves the health of individuals, but encourages
them to strive for change and betterment in the community as a whole.
Questions?