Public Health Nursing Practice Exam

If addressing community-level obesity, which nursing diagnosis would be appropriate?

1. Alteration in nutrition: More than body requirements

2. Need for increased knowledge of proper nutrition

3. Families at risk for obesity due to inactivity

4. Overweight child related to poor dietary habits

The correct answer is: Families at risk for obesity due to inactivity

Choosing "Families at risk for obesity due to inactivity" as the appropriate nursing diagnosis when addressing community-level obesity aligns with a public health approach that focuses on the broader context of health issues rather than individual cases. This diagnosis recognizes that obesity is often influenced by multiple factors, including lifestyle choices, environmental influences, socioeconomic status, and cultural norms. By identifying families as a unit at risk, this approach emphasizes the importance of addressing systemic issues like inactivity that affect entire communities. It allows for community-wide interventions that can inspire collective action, such as promoting physical activity programs or creating infrastructure supporting active transportation. In contrast, other diagnoses tend to focus on individual behavior or knowledge deficits rather than the community context. For instance, stating a need for increased knowledge of proper nutrition or describing an overweight child relates to individual dietary habits or education rather than the communal factors influencing obesity. Addressing families at risk highlights the need to look at the community's dynamics and social determinants of health rather than just individual behaviors. This perspective is crucial for effective public health nursing interventions aimed at reducing obesity rates on a community level.