Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults

Hi Dr. Wyse and class,

Explain why it is critical that the project team define how the project will be evaluated during the design phase of the project.

A crucial activity in any quality improvement initiative is evaluating whether the project has accomplished its intended goals. Adams and Neville (2020) define evaluation as the systematic steps and activities taken to ascertain the merit, impact, and quality of a project. Therefore, designing an evaluation plan is paramount to project success.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Defining project evaluation early in the design phase is crucial for various reasons. Firstly, this practice allows the project team to align evaluation activities with the other key milestones and phases. In practice, project design is the blueprint that defines the conduct of all program activities and components. For instance, a typical design details the timeline for project progression and completion. Thus, describing evaluation early can allow the project team to include evaluation activities in the overall timetable, preventing scheduling mishaps. In addition to detailing the timeline, the project design contains the data collection and analysis plans. From this perspective, incorporating the evaluation plan into the design phase can help the project team specify the type of data to collect and analyze and the required instruments. Failure to align the data collection with the evaluation plan can cause the project team to collect large amounts of potentially unusable data, thereby wasting time and resources (Hickey, 2022). Hence, it seems reasonable for the project team to define the project evaluation in the design phase.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Secondly, defining the evaluation plan in the design phase can help enhance the security of funding for the project. In practice, quality improvement initiatives in healthcare compete for finite resources. Funders and managers often need assurances that proposed initiatives will achieve their desired health-related outcomes before they can approve them. Evaluation is one way of guaranteeing program success because it highlights opportunities for improvement throughout the project (Adams & Neville, 2020). Therefore, submitting an evaluation plan early in the design phase can help the project team secure buy-in from these stakeholders.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Propose measurable outcomes for your DNP project. Include outcome measure(s) and process measures in your discussion.

My proposed Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) project will focus on several measurable outcomes. The project seeks to assess the efficacy of the Five A’s behavior change model in managing overweight and obese adults. Hence, the possible outcome measure for this project is the average weight change in pounds (lbs) from baseline to follow-up. Madigan et al. (2022) observe that pre-and post-intervention weight change is the primary outcome measure used to evaluate the effectiveness of clinician-directed weight management interventions. Conversely, there are two process measures pertinent to the project. The first process measure is the number of obese and overweight patients who complete the counseling sessions. The second process measure is the fraction of patients receiving weight management counseling who implement the recommended behavioral changes for weight loss. Thus, my project will incorporate three evaluation measures.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Explicate how the outcome measures and process measures you proposed for your DNP project will be evaluated (e.g., survey tool, lab tests, chart audit, observation, checklist compliance, etc.)

Overall, my DNP project will utilize several evaluation methods to assess these outcome and process measures. For the outcome measure, the project team will evaluate patients’ weight on a digital balance scale to the nearest 0.1 pounds (lbs) at baseline and follow-up. The evaluators will instruct participants to wear minimal clothing and no shoes during the procedure to ensure accurate weight measurements. Furthermore, the team will use counseling checklists filled at baseline and follow-up to evaluate the number of patients who complete the counseling sessions. Finally, the project team will use the Strategies for Weight Management (SWM)—a self-report survey tool—to evaluate the fraction of participants who implement the recommended behavioral changes for weight loss.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

References

Adams, J., & Neville, S. (2020). Program evaluation for health professionals: What it is, what it isn’t and how to do it. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 19, 1609406920964345. https://doi.org/10.1177/1609406920964345(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Hickey, J. V. (2022). Evaluation and advanced nursing practice: The mandate for evaluation. In J. V. Hickey & E. Giardino (Eds.), Evaluation of quality in health care for DNPs (3rd ed., pp. 3-35). Springer Publishing Company. https://doi.org/10.1891/9780826175236.0001(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Madigan, C. D., Graham, H. E., Sturgiss, E., Kettle, V. E., Gokal, K., Biddle, G., Taylor, G. M., & Daley, A. J. (2022). Effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults delivered in primary care: Systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. BMJ, 377, e069719. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069719(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults– Respond to Classmates

Response to Classmate 1

Hello,

Thank you for the elaborative and informative discussion. Indeed project evaluation is critical in determining whether the project achieved its objectives. Evaluation helps get better project outcomes because it makes deadlocks and project overruns visible, so issues are identified early, in the design face, and addressed early to achieve better outcomes. Generally, evaluation paves the way for process or project improvement. It allows the project team to adapt and make mid-course corrections to maximize success (National Institute for Children Health Quality, 2022). Evaluation outcomes benefit the current project and any future initiatives from lessons learned. You can adopt both process and outcome measures in your project. Outcome measures will indicate the project’s results, for instance, whether stress has reduced or worsened among critical care nurses. Process measures can include the amount or percentage of nurses who experienced positive results after implementing the intervention. Regarding project success, I agree that communication with stakeholders enhances stakeholder engagement, which is vital in project evaluation. Their feedback is crucial.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

References

National Institute for Children Health Quality. (2022, May 16). Reasons why evaluation matters to your project. https://www.nichq.org/insight/5-reasons-why-evaluation-matters-your-project(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

Response to Classmate 2

Hello,

Your discussion is engaging and educative. At the beginning of a project, it is easy to think of it as compelling and worthwhile. Still, it is only possible to determine whether it will achieve its objectives with actual data collection and evaluation. Evaluation involves whether and how the project achieves its goals. With evaluation, you learn to optimize for success and understand the reasons behind wins and mishits (Galas et al., 2018). Evaluation data helps understand how to optimize the project to be more successful. Evaluation allows the collection of feedback from stakeholders who can inform project improvements. Outcome measures focus on the results, while process measures focus on the quality of a process. Indeed the average weight change in pounds is an outcome measure, and the number of obese and overweight patients who completed the counseling sessions is a process measure. You have clearly described how the process and outcome measures will be evaluated in your project with specific evaluation tools.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

References

Galas, A., Pilat, A., Leonardi, M., & Tobiasz-Adamczyk, B. (2018). Research Project Evaluation-Learnings from the PATHWAYS Project Experience. International journal of environmental research and public health, 15(6), 1071. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph15061071(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

FAQs

What is the behavioural model of obesity?

The perspective on obesity from a behavioral standpoint suggests that individual choices and actions play a central role. It proposes that factors like overconsumption, a sedentary lifestyle, and unhealthy eating patterns contribute to an imbalance in energy, leading to weight gain. This approach underscores the significance of aspects such as the quality of one’s diet, levels of physical activity, meal routines, and psychological elements such as stress and emotional eating in the onset and continuation of obesity. It underscores the need to tackle these behavioral aspects by means of strategies that encourage wholesome eating habits, regular physical movement, and constructive psychological approaches to effectively manage and avert obesity.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

What are the 3 models of behavior change?

The first model of behavior change involves the progression of individuals through different stages, from not considering a change to fully adopting it. The second model emphasizes the influence of perceived susceptibility, severity of threats, benefits of actions, and barriers on health-related behaviors. The third model explores how personal and environmental factors interact with behavior, highlighting observational learning, self-belief, and self-control.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

What is the 5 A model of behavior change?

The 5 A’s model for behavior change is a framework employed in healthcare contexts to direct the process of aiding individuals in adopting healthier habits. It encompasses five key stages: Evaluation, Counsel, Consensus, Support, and Organize. The initial phase involves an appraisal of the individual’s current behaviors and their readiness to embrace change. Subsequently, tailored guidance is provided, collaborative objectives are set, strategies for change are offered, and ongoing assistance is organized to ensure sustained progress.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)

What are the stages of change model applied to obesity?

The Phases of Progression framework, commonly known as the Multitheoretical Model, as applied to obesity, encompasses a sequence of five distinct phases that individuals navigate while endeavoring to enact behavioral adjustments concerning their body weight. These stages encompass Precontemplation (characterized by limited awareness or resistance), Contemplation (entailing the evaluation of change), Preparation (involving strategizing for change), Action (marked by concrete steps towards change), and Maintenance (focused on upholding the newly adopted behaviors). Movement through these stages occurs individually and gradually, underlining the significance of customizing interventions to an individual’s state of change readiness, with the aim of effectively addressing obesity and fostering healthier behaviors.(Comprehensive Essay on Behavior Change Model in Managing Overweight and Obese Adults)