Research Journal #3

What is your research question? Have you decided to change it at all? And, if you have, how do I know that the way in which this question is formulated is appropriate to conduct a literature review with a systematic approach?

My Research question is: When finding evidence that socioeconomic status is in fact a determining factor to higher childhood obesity in the United States how does this compare to other children from a higher end of the socioeconomic spectrum? My research question has not changed from the last research journal, I have still be able to find significant amount of information and data to support my research question. The question will allow me to conduct a literature review because I can examine multiple studies and take supporting evidence from them. 

Article 1:

Carroll, D., & Smith, G. D. (1999). Socioeconomic status and cardiovascular response. American Journal of Public Health, 89(3), 415–416.

This article examines the connection between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular response in a cohort study. The experimenters theorize that low socioeconomic status has a significant effect on the progression of carotid atherosclerosis. I will use this article to support the correlation between socioeconomic status and the increase in childhood obesity. This article further supports that there is a correlation and highlights some of the possible serious and life threatening diseases that can accompany this lifestyle. 

Article 2:

Martens, P. J., Chateau, D. G., Burland, E. M., Finlayson, G. S., Smith, M. J., Taylor, C. R., . . . Bolton, J. M. (2014). The Effect of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status on Education and Health Outcomes for Children Living in Social Housing. American Journal of Public Health, 104(11), 2103-2113. doi:10.2105/ajph.2014.302133

This article is able to make a direct comparison between health and education among children living in social housing when comparing them who live in a traditional household. The study using a cohort study finds that children living in social housing fared worse health wise when put up against a child living in a regular middle class neighborhood. The study concludes that children in social housing have poorer health and in turn a lower education level than those living in wealthier areas. This article can be used to compare and contrast children who are at the poverty level with those from the higher end of the socioeconomic spectrum and how their health and education chooses impact their weight. 

Article 3:

Veldhuis, L., Vogel, I., Rossem, L. V., Renders, C., Hirasing, R., Mackenbach, J., & Raat, H. (2013). Influence of Maternal and Child Lifestyle-Related Characteristics on the Socioeconomic Inequality in Overweight and Obesity among 5-year-old Children; The “Be Active, Eat Right” Study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(6), 2336-2347. doi:10.3390/ijerph10062336

This article examines childhood oversight and obesity and its dramatic increase over the years. The article brings to light the daunting realization that obesity in children is becoming a huge burden in our public health system. The article supports my research question by stating that "subgroups with a lower socioeconomic status are at increased risk for having overweight or obesity". This article directly supports my research question and I will use it for evidence to create a stronger research. In addition to that the fact that these Kids are becoming a burden to our public health system makes the problem much more serious. 

Article 4:

Huynh, M., Borrell, L. N., & Chambers, E. C. (2013). Maternal Education and Excessive Gestational Weight Gain in New York City, 1999–2001: The Effect of Race/Ethnicity and Neighborhood Socioeconomic Status. Maternal and Child Health Journal, 18(1), 138-145. doi:10.1007/s10995-013-1246-5

This article study examines the link between maternal education and the excessive weight gain. This article  supports there being  a correlation between overweight and general education of an individual. This article will be essential to my research since education plays an important part of an individuals socioeconomic status. With education we can also determine ones income and generally the less education an ndividual has  as supported by this article has lead to an increase in weight and a decrease in theoverall heath of the child and family as a whole.

Article 5:

Brzozowski A, Drews-Botsch C. Early childhood obesity, socioeconomic status, and executive functioning in Atlanta children. International Journal Of Child & Adolescent Health [serial online]. October 2015;8(4):487-495. Available from: CINAHL Complete, Ipswich, MA. Accessed February 13, 2017.

Finally this article introduces the negative consequences  associates between childhood obesity and executive functioning. Data collected from a study is used to from a verity of developmental growth studies. The studies in turn found significantly lower IQ for the majority of those located at the bottom of the socioeconomic spectrum. This article overall supports my research question because a level of education is required for and individual to make good and conscious food choices for themselves as well as those who surround them. Lower education has lead to an increase in childhood obisity due to the lack of nutritional information. This article will be used to support my stance on socioeconomic status and its direct link influencing childhood obesity.