Critical Appraisal/Synthesis Matrix 1-10

Synthesis Matrix/Critical Appraisal

Author/Date	Aim of Study	Type of literature + type of method	Result /Conclusion	Strengths + limitations	Thematic codings	Setting/ Context
Carroll, D., & Smith, G. D.	Examining the connections between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular response.	Research article, Cohort Research	This article concludes that there is in fact an impact on the progression of carotid atherosclerosis and socioeconomic status among young children.	This article considers significant research time to come to this conclusion that obesity has increased atherosclerosis in children. However, it shortfalls by stating that atherosclerosis is primarily associated with their eating habits it could be possible that there is a genetic component that is overlooked	Cardio metabolic health, carotid atherosclerosis, socioeconomic status, children	Kuopio Ischemic Heart disease risk factor, eastern Finland
Martens, P. J., Chateau, D. G., Burland, E. M., Finlayson, G. S., Smith, M. J., Taylor, C. R., . . . Bolton, J. M.	Comparing two classes of children & their health. Public housing vs. middle class.	Research article, Case Control	This article finds that children living in public housing fared worse health wise than those from upper middle class families. How poverty level impacts health	This article studies children living in public housing in the Winnipeg area from 2006-2007 and 2008-2009. Neighborhoods are compared from varying socioeconomic status. This article however does not take into consideration external factors that could influence the health of these children in the area. At the end of the day however it comes back to socioeconomic status	Children, public housing, middle class, overall health, poverty, income	Public housing, schools, Winnipeg, Manitoba 2006-2007, 2008-2009
Veldhuis, L., Vogel, I., Rossem, L. V., Renders, C., Hirasing, R., Mackenbach, J., & Raat, H. (2013).	Examining the increase of childhood obesity in recent years.	Research article, Policy study	Finds that there is a significant increase in the amount of childhood obesity resulting in health care costs skyrocketing	Childhood obesity increases has become a burden for the public health system this study affirms that typically higher socioeconomic class’s struggle less with obesity problems than those from middle class families. This article however does not go into detail as to some of the other factors that obesity is causing and how it increased public health spending.	Costs, healthcare, obesity, socioeconomic status, social class	Generalized study from data from previous research
Huynh, M., Borrell, L. N., & Chambers, E. C.	Study’s the link between education level and excessive weight gain.	Research article, Theory study	Finds that education plays a significant role in health, those who received more education are typically better off than those who did not finish school	This article highlights the underlying factor behind the link between socioeconomic status and education. Education is essential to make smart life choices regarding one’s health therefore education is the driving force behind this issue. The article does not discuss in detail however why these communities are not able to attend school and receive a good education.	Education, socioeconomic status, school, lifestyle	New York City, Neighborhoods.
Brzozowski A, Drews-Botsch C.	Highlights the negative consequences associated with childhood obesity.	Research article, Ethnography	Childhood obesity has many negative side effects. This article finds developmental growth impairments as a result of childhood obesity	This article makes a connection between obesity and its growth impairment side effects as individuals typically also suffer from some sort of developmental issue. However, it is also important to not simply generalize this since there may be other significant explanations for developmental issues that may not be entirely related to obesity.	Side effects, childhood obesity, developmental impairments, growth, socioeconomic status	Atlanta Georga, Schools
Kendzor, D. E., Caughy, M. O., & Owen, M. T.  Li, Y., Dai, Q., Jackson, J. C., & Zhang, J. (2008	Finds that there is a significant increase in the amount of childhood obesity	Research article, Cohort Research	Stress has a significant effect on the life of an individual. This paired with obesity is bad.	Explains some of the issues that are not always discussed with obesity. However it does not discuss fsome of the other causes for obesity.	Children,poor,stress	Throuout united states.

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.