Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Projects
Access Control
Campus Access
Embargo Period
9-24-2023
Degree Program
Doctor of Nursing Practice
Degree Track
Family Nurse Practioner
Year Degree Awarded
2023
Month Degree Awarded
May
Keywords
Obesity, chronic disease self-management, self-efficacy, nurse practitioner, tele-health, 5AsT Framework
Advisor
Dr. Terrie Black
DNP Project Chair
Dr Jeungok Choi
DNP Project Outside Member Name
Kate Burkholder NP
Abstract
Background: The Canadian health care system is drowning in efforts to provide adequate services. One in three Canadians are considered overweight or obese. It is essential to recognize obesity as a chronic disease as it can be a leading precursor to subsequent multi-complex conditions. Attributing to this epidemic is not recognizing the importance for obesity related discussions and offering obesity structured programs. Purpose: To increase awareness obesity is a chronic disease and to raise one’s self-efficacy in obesity self-management of healthy lifestyles to improve in primary care outcomes. Methods: A Nurse practitioner led quality improvement project in Southern New Brunswick Canada; trained staff at a rural community health center in Obesity Canada’s 5AsT framework, recruited overweight or obese participants to participate in an obesity self-management online program using the evidence-based Heart and Stroke Foundation toolkit ‘Healthy Weight Action Plan' and offered weekly telephone/email support. Each weekly session focused on increasing one’s self-efficacy to motivate participants towards long-term self-management of lifestyle changes. Results: A paired t test showed a significant improvement in the pre and post intervention scores of the General Self-Efficacy scale (p=.006), the Eating Self-Efficacy Brief scale (pConclusion:Directing focus towards increasing one’s self-efficacy through structured, self-management practices, along with telephone support can improve health outcomes, effectively help address the obesity epidemic and its health care related complications. Nurse practitioners are ideal professionals to link evidence-based practices to clinical settings.
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