Category: Health & Medicine

Eat Lancet recommendations are developed to integrate healthy eating habits with the practices that minimize the harm to the planet Earth resulting from some foods manufacturing or farming approaches. The goal is to ensure that the biodiversity of the planet is preserved while people continue to eat delicious and healthy foods. This paper will examine Lancets EAT recommendations, compare this diet to personal eating habits, and discuss whether modifications can be made.

My current diet is different from the EAT recommendations provided by Lancet.

Firstly, my diet mostly consists of prepackaged or takeout foods, although I add fruits to my daily food intake. However, I do not consume a lot of vegetables, nuts, and legumes, as recommended in the EAT article. Also, EAT recommendations emphasize the need to limit the consumption of red meat and dairy products, which I typically consume as well (EAT-Lancet Commission Brief for Everyone). I am accustomed to having dairy products, especially milk and yogurt, on a daily, and based on the EAT recommendations, and I should limit this consumption to smaller portions.

It would be difficult to modify my diet to match the EAT-Lancet recommendations. Mainly, this is because I would need to change my eating habits, meaning I would need to get used to eating and shopping for foods that are different from what I consume daily. Additionally, with the EAT diet, many of the products need to be cooked or prepared; for example, vegetables taste better if they are in a salad, which would require more time for preparation. Currently, I do not have much free time to dedicate to preparing food, which creates a challenge for me if I want a balanced and environmentally friendly diet. However, I could shop for vegetables that are already slides or buy salads and healthier foods from the places I already order from or shop at, which would make it easier to integrate these products into my diet.

One aspect that I can easily modify is my shopping habits since I often tend to buy too many fresh products that I do not eat before they perish, and thus I have to throw these away. According to Lancet, with food, the amounts wasted or lost have major impacts on human health and environmental sustainability. Hence, I need to pay more attention to the way I shop for fresh produce to minimize waste, which I can achieve by shopping more often but buying less produce to ensure that perishable items are eaten in time.

Moreover, this article emphasizes the impact of food on ones health, especially due to the increasing cases of obesity in developed states. In parallel to this, many people, and children, in particular, experience acute hunger on a daily basis (Lancet). This terrific contrast prompts me to change my eating habits and ensure that I only buy the foods I can consume to ensure that there is no waste and harm to the environment. In general, this article has prompted me to rethink my eating habits and my approach to food consumption and to make small modifications that will be helpful both for my health and for the well-being of the environment. In summary, my current diet is very different from the recommendations provided by Lancet, and there are several challenges linked to modifying it to suit these recommendations.

Work Cited

EAT-Lancet Commission Brief for Everyone. EatForum, Web.

The article Assessing the Effect of Fluoride Varnish in Early Enamel Carious Lesions in the Primary Dentition concentrates on the issue of health care among 2 to 5-year-old children from indigent families: safe and effective preventive measures are needed to control enamel caries progression. The effect of fluoride varnish on deciduous teeth is studied. Although its clinical effectiveness has already been explored, research on caries reduction in primary dentition lacks proper documentation or has produced inconclusive results. Thus, a hypothesis is formulated: fluoride varnish applications are potentially favorable for reversing active pit-and-fissure enamel lesions in the primary dentition (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001).

The study design includes the process of selecting the participants: 59 children randomly formed a varnish group, and 89 children went into a control group. The racial, age and sex composition of the groups was similar. Active and inactive enamel carious lesions were considered. As for the intervention, the study group received topical applications of fluoride varnish at baseline and in four months (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). Each child was instructed about how to drink, eat, and clean their teeth. The primary outcome demonstrates the slight increase in caries prevalence in the control group nine months later. The following criteria are taken into account: dmfs (decayed, missing, and filled surfaces), dmft (decayed, missing, and filled teeth), and ds (decayed surfaces) (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). The data shows that the improvement in the varnish group is more sustained. For example, more than 80% of active enamel lesions were inactive; in comparison, this rate was 37.8% in the control group.

Just as any experimental study, the present research has specific characteristics. In an interventional study, a researcher forms a hypothesis and conducts an experiment. To discover the effect of some condition (independent variable) on a certain consequence (dependent variable), randomly assigned participants should be involved (What is an experimental study, 2016). Indeed, the hypothesis was given; the children were selected randomly; the usage of fluoride varnish on deciduous teeth and caries increase/decrease are the independent and dependent variables correspondingly. What is more, the experiment is blind: as the authors state, the examination of the subjects was set by calibrated dentists unaware of the treatment group to which the children belonged (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001). To ensure the reliability of the experiment, inter examination was introduced: 8 to 10 percent of the children were re-examined at each experimental stage. The data are anchored: the level of agreement varies from substantial to excellent.

Two ethical issues should be mentioned in relation to the study. First of all, participation must be voluntary and harmless. In the course of the experiment, 35 children dropped out for a number of reasons (moving from the community, refusal to continue, and others); six children were excluded since the condition of their anterior teeth demanded immediate treatment. The second principle is honesty: before the investigation, the childrens parents received the information concerning the procedures, possible discomforts, risks, and benefits and gave their written consent (Autio-Gold & Courts, 2001).

All in all, the study is of paramount importance for dental public health. The level of untreated decay in the primary dentition among low-income families is still high. To solve this widespread problem, an easy and safe method of treatment and prevention is needed. Fluoride varnish has proven to be an appropriate measure: it is convenient and well-accepted by people. The study demonstrates that it will be effective as a non-surgical alternative in the sphere of childrens dentistry.

References

Autio-Gold, J. T., & Courts, F. (2001). Assessing the effect of fluoride varnish on early enamel carious lesions in the primary dentition. Journal of the American Dental Association, 132(9), 1247-1253.

What is experimental study. (2016). Web.

As physicians have an idea of a model patient, the patient has an idea of the ideal physician. Each builds his perfect image in his imagination, and conflict between doctor and patient can arise because of a simple mismatch of these images (Curlin & Tollefsen, 2021). The peculiarity of patient interaction is that the patient can go to another doctor, and the doctor has no right of choice in this situation. Therefore he should be ready to adjust to the interlocutor and make communication with the patient effective and comfortable for both of them.

Among typical controversial situations arising from the doctor-patient conflict, the most private is the patients refusal to comply with the doctors prescription for various reasons. The main reason for this behavior may be the refusal to change, even if it later becomes a change for the better. Moreover, patients are in a stressful state; everything new and unusual frightens them. Rejection is possible, caused by the internal state of the patient, his or her bad mood, and emotional distress, which requires psychological processing.

One of the most problematic models of patient-doctor relations is the engineering model, within which manipulation of the patients body is the main thing. This approach does not involve a psychological contract that allows the client to feel trust in the treatment methods (Curlin & Tollefsen, 2021). In the paternalistic type of relationship, the boundaries of patient and doctor are not sufficiently delineated, as the doctors authority is assumed to be unquestioned.

Establishing personal boundaries is challenging for me in my personal and professional life. Experience has shown that general theoretical knowledge is insufficient to protect ones interests in different social communities. In order to understand how to interact with people and resolve conflicts, I needed a good understanding of my requirements and value systemmostly in-depth psychological work and learning the basics of ethics and communication.

Reference

Curlin, F., & Tollefsen, C. (2021). The way of medicine: Ethics and the healing profession. University of Notre Dame Press.

Viewing nursing as a unified process allows maintaining the cohesion of actions and guidelines within it, thus, setting uniform standards and contributing to quality improvement. Therefore, the specified perspective affects the efficacy of nursing services to a significant extent. Among the theories that address the concept o unity in nursing, one must mention Rogers Unitary Human Beings (Malinski et al., 2018). Promoting the perception of patients as complex yet unified systems, Rogers framework focuses on the betterment of nursing practice and the overall well-being of the global community (Malinski et al., 2018). Namely, Rogers theory suggests that patients should be viewed in the context of their environments so that their needs could be understood more accurately and met more precisely (Malinski et al., 2018). Therefore, the framework in question serves to enhance the quality of care while also promoting higher quality of life in target populations.

The theory in question reflects the changes that the global knowledge development process has been producing on the global nursing community. Specifically, the need to embrace culture-specific factors influencing patients and shaping their health has predetermined the described change. With the emphasis on interdisciplinary cooperation and cross-cultural communication, particularly, in addressing the needs of patients from diverse communities, the necessity to consider the specific characteristics of the environment in which patients live, therefore, viewing the target population as inseparable from their communities (Tinanoff et al., 2019). The specified shift in understanding of nursing is justified by the alterations in the development of global knowledge, namely, the recognition of the need to include experiences of diverse cultural and ethnic groups into it (Tinanoff et al., 2019). The emphasis on inclusion is likely to contribute to the improvement of care due to a more accurate perception of the target audiences needs, as well as the expected responses toward the established nursing strategies and the significance of building new nursing approaches.

References

Malinski, V. M. (2018). The importance of a nursing theoretical framework for nursing practice: Rogers science of unitary human beings and Barretts theory of knowing participation in change as exemplars. Cultura del Cuidado Enfermeria, 15(2), 6-13. Web.

Tinanoff, N., Baez, R. J., Diaz Guillory, C., Donly, K. J., Feldens, C. A., McGrath, C., Phantumvanit, P., Pitts, N. B., Seow, K. W., Sharkov, N., Songpaisan, Y., & Twetman, S. (2019). Early childhood caries epidemiology, aetiology, risk assessment, societal burden, management, education, and policy: Global perspective. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 29(3), 238-248. Web.

Humans have three metabolic pathways that are used to fuel the body with energy. The first one, the Adenosine Triphosphate-creatine phosphate (ATP-CP) energy system, operates without the need for oxygen and is the fastest source of fuel the body can utilize. A cycle process of creatine phosphate is linked to the used energy, ADP-Adenosine diphosphate, leading to the production of additional ATP, which is repeated as needed. This pathway includes exercises like short-term running for less than 10 seconds and intense powerlifting.

The second process, known as the Glycolytic Pathway, enters after the ATP-CP mechanism has reached its maximum capacity. It is a process that entails a series of biochemical processes which convert glucose into pyruvate, generating adenosine triphosphate (ATP) as an energy source (Hargreaves & Spriet, 2020). Glucose from meals is used in the Glycolysis process to aid in the transformation of ADP back into ATP, which keeps the muscles contracting. Exercises that involve medium to rapid efforts, such as 100-yard swimming or heavy weightlifting followed by two minutes of recovery, fall under this pathway.

The third system, the aerobic or oxidative system, is the only one that needs oxygen and offers ATP a long-term supply of slow-burning energy. This technique is used in activities like long-distance running and mountain climbing since they call for long-term endurance. The lactic acid threshold may be trained through interval running to be more fatigue-resistant, making the glycolic route ideal for marathon runners. Muscles that are resistant to fatigue operate at a top standard and recover more quickly (Hargreaves & Spriet, 2020). Therefore, oxidative or aerobic respiration would be the point of focus for my training. As a long-distance runner, I would concentrate on the aerobic route because it supplies fuel for longer-duration activity. I would use sprints on interval days while preparing for a marathon to boost the training-to-rest ratio. Resistance exercise would still be necessary for me to build my upper body, help to a greater level of fitness, and exercise the oxidative pathway.

Knowing and comprehending these energy channels enables me to coach myself and others on how to exercise and achieve more significant outcomes. The oxidative exercise will be more effective since the glycolic energy pathway will prepare muscles to maintain a greater performance and withstand the oxygen shortage without becoming fatigued. Consequently, I will increase the number of kilometers I run every day in order to prepare.

References

Hargreaves, M., & Spriet, L. L. (2020). Skeletal muscle energy metabolism during exercise. Nature Metabolism, 2(9), 817828.

Biopsychosocial History, Presenting Problems, and Symptoms

In this case, Hope is a 35-year-old African-American female patient. She is single, and her relationships with a family (mother, sister, and step-father) are strained, which results in a limited support system. The patient has a seven-year-old daughter, but their relationships are distant because of the influence she could have on the child. Hope has neither stable sexual relationships nor good job because of impersonal conflicts and a feeling that people betray her. As a result, her main complaints include the lack of energy, no interest in being involved in different activities, sleeping problems, no appetite, and irregular suicidal thoughts. She wants to be invisible and disappear and cannot get rid of a thought that something goes wrong with her. The symptoms are weight loss (5 pounds in the past month), eye contact avoidance, anxiety, and hypervigilance. The patient denies her participation in any religious or community activities. She does not take any drugs or other substances but admits drinking beer (2-3 glasses per week). It helps improve her mood and increase socialization at bars.

Differential Diagnoses and Final Diagnosis

Regarding her current symptoms and problems, it is possible to define major depressive disorder in Hope. According to the American Psychiatric Association (2013), low mood, hopelessness, diminished interest, weight loss, insomnia, retardation, fatigue, indecisiveness, suicidal thoughts, and feeling of worthlessness during the last four months represent a major depressive episode. Regarding the presence of all symptoms, the level of this disorder is severe (Ng, How, & Ng, 2017). Other diagnoses that should be taken into consideration are manic episodes with irritable mood or mixed episodes. However, to prove this diagnosis, additional assessment for such symptoms as distractibility or talkativeness is necessary. People with generalized anxiety disorder meet many depressive symptoms, but this condition also includes muscle tension and nausea that were not observed in the patient. Finally, the episodes of sadness can be diagnosed if the symptoms last most of the day during the last two weeks. In this case, Hope reports that some of the symptoms occur once a week. To avoid misunderstandings and give a correct diagnosis, additional information about the duration of each symptom and the use of medications is required.

Contributing Factors to the Clients Condition

The condition of the client proves that Hope has a number of serious mental health problems that should be treated. For example, her feeling of uselessness in this life may be explained by strained relationships with the family. Hope admits that she has not spoken to her mother and sister during the last two years. Her distant relationships with the daughter also provoke hopelessness and sadness. The patient does not have any kind of support at home and must deal with her symptoms alone. Her recent loss of the job is explained by absenteeism, and her current job search does not bring any results because of the inability to meet employers expectations. No religious interests and no faith are the cultural factors that contribute to the lack of interest in all activities. She does not have friends or constant partners to communicate and share her concerns. Finally, his poor financial history and renting problems promote a bad environment, which results in suicidal thoughts or the desire to become invisible in society.

Clinical Treatment

Depression is a mental health disorder that worsens the quality of life and provokes changes in social functioning. The diagnosis of depression might inform a clinical treatment plan in several ways. First, the fact that similar symptoms have already been observed two times at different age periods and lasted between four and six months shows that previous SSRI antidepressant treatment was not effective. Therefore, instead of single pharmacological treatment, psychotherapy is recommended. Ng et al. (2017) underline the worth of cognitive behavioral therapy in combination with interpersonal or problem-solving therapy. It is necessary to identify the sources of all dysfunctional thoughts and replace them with good memories and positive tasks. Hope lacks adequate social support; that is why hospitalization is an optimal treatment setting to increase the patients ability to communicate and analyze her problems (Gautam, Jain, Gautam, Vahia, & Grover, 2017). Antidepressants usually help depressed patients, and, in this case, the analysis of Hopes past medications, their dosage, and treatment period will help choose another option. Finally, if no adequate response is observed within the next month, electroconvulsive therapy has to be prescribed.

References

American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed.). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Association.

Gautam, S., Jain, A., Gautam, M., Vahia, V. N., & Grover, S. (2017). Clinical practice guidelines for the management of depression. Indian Journal of Psychiatry, 59(1), 34-50. Web.

Ng, C. W. M., How, C. H., & Ng, Y. P. (2017). Managing depression in primary care. Singapore Medical Journal, 58(8), 459-466. Web.

The American Dental Association (ADA) has been promoting the effectiveness of Direct Reimbursements (DRs). According to the ADA, Direct Reimbursement is the best insurance plan for dentistry. The organization has been informing more stakeholders about the attractiveness of the DR dental plan. The first attractiveness is that the DR plan is simple and flexible. The plan allows patients to visit dentists of their choice, pay the bills, and turn in proof of payment (American Dental Association, 2017, para. 4). The individual is then paid by the insurance provider. Every employee embracing the use of this plan will be able to utilize his or her dollars efficiently. The plan is also sustainable and cost effective for both the employer and the employee.

ADAs Campaign: Critical Analysis

The ADA has been marketing DR dental plans as the best for the dental health sector. The campaign has been targeted both the employers and employees. The organization has been informing the targeted beneficiaries about the benefits associated with the DR dental plans. Individuals who embrace these dental plans, according to the campaign, will be able to receive quality services from their preferred dentists. This approach makes it easier for the beneficiaries to record positive dental health outcomes. Different insurance providers and employers have been informed about the benefits of the DR plan (American Dental Association, 2017). This is the case because the employers can find it easier to manage costs and reduce expenses. The patient or employee will eventually receive evidence-based and sustainable dental care.

The campaign aimed at marketing direct reimbursement has been working effectively. This is the case because more people have been informed about the importance of embracing various plans that can minimize healthcare costs. The DR dental plan has the potential to minimize the costs incurred by individuals who want to receive quality dental care (American Dental Association, 2017). By focusing on the unique aspects and benefits of the plan, the ADA has managed to attract more people and employees. It is therefore agreeable that more people will embrace this insurance plan because it is capable of addressing the dental health problems affecting them.

Agreeing with the ADAs Philosophy

ADAs philosophy focuses on the idea of dental savings (Dental savings plans 101, 2017). This is the case because the DR insurance cover for dental care is designed in such a way that it helps more families, groups, and individuals to save money (American Dental Association, 2017, para. 5). The proposed plan presents numerous benefits that encourage more people in the country to embrace it. For instance, more patients will not have to wait in an attempt to receive quality dental care. The approach minimizes the challenges encountered whenever seeking adequate dental care.

The other agreeable aspect of the ADA philosophy is that it seeks to remove every unnecessary administrative cost or feature associated with the existing dental plans (Dental savings plans 101, 2017). The approach also focuses on the best approaches to remove treatment limits (Dental savings plans 101, 2017). The DR insurance plan presents various cost sharing measures that safeguard employers from benefit cost fluctuations (American Dental Association, 2017). It is therefore evident that future dental insurance plans will be aimed at reducing costs while at the same providing timely, evidence-based, and quality oral care to the targeted patients.

References

American Dental Association. (2017). How direct reimbursement works. Web.

Dental savings plans 101. (2017). Web.

Introduction

In healthcare facilities, patient safety is a key concern, and several efforts have been established to enhance the well-being of sick persons. Despite the commitments, some loopholes still exist, which endanger the lives of patients. Pediatric falls constitute a significant issue that complicates hospital care for young adults and infants. It presents more risks to the children and nurses since some other injuries, such as body fractures, can occur during falls. It requires intense research to formulate ways by which the problem can be reduced to improve the safety of sick children. The study will examine the effects of patient falls and techniques that hospitals and nurses can employ to curve the challenge.

Background of Pediatric Falls

Pediatric falls are the unintentional fall of hospitalized children, resulting in injury or related emergencies. In most cases, sick children fall due to an unfamiliar environment, the type of medication given, and a painful process. Some active cases that can accelerate falling among young ones are impulsivity, learning to use washrooms, and bouncing on their beds. According to some studies, the relative estimated pediatric falls are about 0.58 to 2.2 per 1000 patients (AlSowailmi et al., 2018). The rate is slightly below the average adult patients, but it can lead to minor or severe harm. Patient falls have been a health safety concern over the past decades and have currently prompted. The culture of safety became a priority in healthcare in 2004 following reports of increased death of young ones related to falls.

Prevention of pediatric falls is an important safety measure that would ensure a reduction in the rate of patient falls. Understanding the aspect is essential in facilitating maximum care of children within healthcare facilities. Reducing the occurrences can motivate nurses to continue providing relative preventive measures. Cultivating effective culture is necessary and provides a comprehensive perspective of managing possible emergencies that can arise from accidents. The safety aspect is of interest to me because it creates an opportunity in healthcare to explore and find solutions to pediatric falls concerns. It also increases patient safety thus promoting their well-being within the facility.

Nursing Practices That Reduce Patient Falls

Nurses have vital roles to play in managing, and reducing patient falls within the facilities. There are several ways by which nursing practices can positively impact and enhance the culture of safety in healthcare units. Having a deep understanding of the facilities, nurses can offer education and proper information to the children and related parties about the possible cause of patients falls. This would facilitate informed practices and increase awareness, thus promoting the individual safety of the young ones. Similarly, nurses can ensure there are warning signs visible to children and relatives within the hospitals. Proper symbols would alert the parents about the risk of falls, thus encouraging them to be watchful of the young ones at all times. Placing marks that indicate a slippery floor enables people to be cautious and therefore take effective measures to prevent accidents.

Furthermore, caregivers should ensure the patients are always in their sight. Keeping a close watch on children can be an effective measure of reducing possible topples amongst hospitalized children. The close monitor would allow the nurse to identify situations that can cause falls and then act swiftly to prevent them. In case of commitments, the professional should ensure there is an adult closely monitoring the activities of toddlers, such as playing on beds or running in the facilities (Shala et al., 2019). In addition, practitioners can offer mobility aids to patients to facilitate easy and comfortable movement. Enough body support would ensure chances of children falling are reduced.

Caregivers should also ensure patients footwear are appropriate and cannot put them at risk of falling. This would reduce the possibility of children tumbling, which can threaten their safety in hospital care facilities. Nurses should make sure all the children within the facility have non-slippery shoes, and they don them anytime they are walking. Therefore, practicing such nursing measures would promote a culture of safety. Another effective nursing practice is lowering the childs bed to a level that can lower the impact in the event of an accident. Highly raised bedsteads are most likely to increase the falling rate of young ones, especially when they are trying to come out without the support of their caregivers. In addition, the practitioners should ensure breaks and firmly attached with rails properly raised to a level comfortable for young ones. Moreover, nurses can assess the effects of medication to influence the possibility of a patient falling. When there is a positive correlation between pediatric falls and the treatment, caregivers can opt to use a different medicine that has no effects to minimize the risk of falling.

Personal Impacts in Improving Culture of Safety

To facilitate the culture of safety within the hospital facility, I would ensure all nurses in the health unit are well equipped with the knowledge of the Humpty Dumpty teaching tool. The toolkit is essential in assessing the age, cognitive impairments, medication usage, diagnosis, and environmental factors that are crucial determinants of falling rates in the care units (Chhipa & Chan-Galapon, 2021). Encouraging the implementation of the assessment tool would make nurses insight into possible areas that can increase pediatric falls in the facility.

I can also improve the culture of safety by advising and encouraging caregivers to take and implement ways that can enhance care. Inspiring nurses to improve the level of supervision is significant in ensuring accidental falls are mitigated. When practitioners are motivated, they will similarly value the measures as treatment. I would also enlighten patients and other caregivers about environmental factors that can contribute to the toppling of children.

Conclusion

In summary, the research provides deep insight into pediatric falls. Providing safe care is a concern for health facilities and practitioners to ensure patients do not incur other injuries. Various factors influence childrens falls, such as medication, lack of proper knowledge of the environment, and painful procedures. Falling affects sick children by making them suffer minor and severe injuries prolonging their recovery. Over the decades, safety culture issues have prompted researchers and health organizations to formulate effective countermeasures. Nursing practice plays a significant role in promoting the care and well-being of patients within the health facility. Nurses should educate and inform children about the causes of falling to increase their awareness of its dangers. They can also use their experience to examine the effects of medication and change it related to patients tumbling. I would ensure the Humpty Dumpty assessment tool is well understood, and that practitioners have adequate knowledge about how it helps manage pediatric falls.

References

AlSowailmi, B. A., AlAkeely, M. H., AlJutaily, H. I., Alhasoon, M. A., Omair, A., & AlKhalaf, H. A. (2018). Prevalence of fall injuries and risk factors for fall among hospitalized children in a specialized childrens hospital in Saudi Arabia.Annals of Saudi Medicine, 38(3), 225-229. Web.

Chhipa, A. K., & Chan-Galapon, M. (2021). A quality improvement project to decrease falls on in-patient pediatric units.Pediatric Quality & Safety, 6(1). Web.

Shala, D. R., Brogan, F., Cruickshank, M., Kornman, K., & SheppardLaw, S. (2019). Exploring Australian parents knowledge and awareness of pediatric inpatient falls: A qualitative study.Journal for Specialists in Pediatric Nursing, 24(4), e12268. Web.

Qualitative research plays an undeniably vital role in advancing healthcare and inventing innovative strategies and approaches to managing public health issues. Specifically, the qualitative research method provides ample opportunities for gaining a solid and profound understanding of the nature of health-related phenomena (Fusch et al., 2018). As a result, strategies for addressing certain health problems can be built and introduced into the target setting. Possessing a range of unique qualities that allow it to be utilized as a helpful tool in understanding the relationships between studied variables, the qualitative research design needs to be viewed as an unparalleled framework for examining specific phenomena.

As a rule, four key dimensions of qualitative research that make the specified method unique can be isolated. These are the positivist, postpositivist, constructivist and objectivist approaches (Poucher et al., 2020). Being unique to the qualitative research design, the specified perspectives allow focusing on the specific nature of studied phenomena and the properties that cannot be quantified. As a result, an in-depth, nuanced understanding of the issue under analysis can be obtained. Indeed, the positivist approach to qualitative analysis offers a chance to use observations to identify key paradigms and elicit immediate conclusions regarding the observed phenomena and trends (Chigbu, 2019). In turn, the postpositivist approach makes the qualitative method unique by representing the author of the research as an independent observer of the studied phenomena or relationships between variables (Poucher et al., 2020). Offering a chance to introduce a personal perspective on a specific issue, the specified dimension of conducting qualitative research is unique in its focus on the author of the study and the acknowledgment of biases that may stem from the integration of a personal perspective into the scientific analysis.

In turn, constructivism as the third dimension of qualitative research should be seen as the attempt to shift from the individual-centered paradigm offered by the post-positivism framework and, instead, embrace a specific phenomenon in the context of its community. As a result, the unique chance to study the interplay between the observed phenomenon and social factors prevalent in the target community emerges. Finally, the application of objectivism in qualitative research suggests that the research subjects should be treated with dignity and respect, focusing on their well-being and benefit (Godino et al., 2019). The specified framework is particularly important for the nursing area due to the necessity to maintain patient beneficence and the principles of non-maleficence in the clinical context. Therefore, as a component of evidence-based research, objectivism in qualitative research should be seen as an essential framework for studies in nursing.

References

Chigbu, U. E. (2019). Visually hypothesizing in scientific paper writing: Confirming and refuting qualitative research hypotheses using diagrams.Publications, 7(1), 22. Web.

Fusch, P., Fusch, G. E., & Ness, L. R. (2018). Denzins paradigm shift: Revisiting triangulation in qualitative research. Journal of social change, 10(1), 2. Web.

Godino, J. D., Rivas, H., Burgos, M., & Wilhelmi, M. R. (2019). Analysis of didactical trajectories in teaching and learning mathematics: Overcoming extreme objectivist and constructivist positions. International Electronic Journal of Mathematics Education, 14(1), 147-161. Web.

Poucher, Z. A., Tamminen, K. A., Caron, J. G., & Sweet, S. N. (2020). Thinking through and designing qualitative research studies: A focused mapping review of 30 years of qualitative research in sport psychology. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 13(1), 163-186. Web.

Introduction

Dental caries is one of the most prevalent diseases in the United States, as 94% of adults have it (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dental caries, 2015). Thus its inclusion in Health People 2020 underlines its significance and necessity to study (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy People 2020, 2016). Thus, individuals with low socioeconomic status were selected as a target group due to the increased vulnerability of their teeth. The background information will be studied with the help of the literature review, and the analysis of health records and semi-structured interviews with the patients will support the evidenced-based research. Acquiring information by using these methods will help determine a rationale for the development of the disease and provide appropriate methods for intervention.

Annotated Bibliography

Costa, S., Vasconcelos, M., & Abreu, M. (2013). High dental caries among adults aged 35-44 years: Case-control study of distal and proximal factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(6), 2401-2411.

The initial goal of the study is to find a connection between the caries severity and low income, frequency of visits to the dentist, and using the community benefits among the Brazilian adults (Costa, Vasconcelos, & Abreu, 2013). Thus, speaking of the correlation of the socioeconomic status and caries intensity, adults with a low income had a 2.2 higher chance of caries than individuals with a greater income (Costa et al., 2016). It was revealed with the help of using two focus groups with high caries and lower severity. In this case, the primary finding of this article is the fact that high caries severity vehemently pertains to the low-income level and decreased social cohesion. Keywords used: caries and low income. Database: PubMed.

Costa, S., Martins, C., Bonfim, M., Zina, L., Paiva, S., Pordeus, I., & Abreu, M. (2012). A systematic review of socioeconomic indicators and dental caries in adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9(10), 3540-3574.

The authors of the article propose that a high level of caries and socioeconomic factors such as level of income, educational background, and socioeconomic status are interdependent (Costa et al., 2012). In this case, the hypothesis such as less schooling and more caries (p>0.5) and low level of occupation and more decayed teeth (p>0.5) received support with the assistance of the multivariate and bivariate analyses (Costa et al., 2012). It remains apparent that the findings depicted the initially proposed relationship with the help of the literature review. Nonetheless, it is questionable whether the level of income has an as high influence on the caries prevalence as for other variables. Keywords used: dental caries and socioeconomic factors. Database: PubMed.

Dye, B., Li, X., Thornton-Evans, G. (2012). Oral health disparities as determined by Selected Healthy People 2020 oral health objectives for the United States, 2009-2010. National Center for Health Statistics, 104, 1-8. Web.

The primary goal of the article is to provide a synthesis of statistical information to understand the rationale for the objectives reflected in Healthy People 2020. In this case, the authors of the publication refer to teeth retention as one of the factors, which require intervention (Dye, Li, Thornton-Evans, 2012). With the assistance of the assessment of statistical findings, the researchers depict a connection between teeth retention and poverty level. In this case, the article portrays that the adults living at the poverty level lost 38% of their permanent teeth, and the adults with a higher level of income have 45% of them (Dye et al., 2012). In turn, the complete retention of teeth was lower among the adults below the Federal poverty level (15%) than among adults with better socioeconomic status (32%) (Dye et al., 2012). It could be said that the findings provide a clear rationale for the need to include dental caries in Health People 2020. Keywords: dental caries, low income, statistics. Web.

Conclusion

In the end, it could be concluded that the publications offer a clear understanding that dental caries are an issue among adults in the modern world. In this case, the selected articles provide a clear image of the interdependence of socioeconomic status and dental caries. It was revealed that the level of income contributes to the increased severity of the disease. At the same time, the aspects such as educational background, occupation, and socioeconomic status cannot be underestimated, as they also affect the situation with caries prevalence among adults. Based on the factors provided above, it could be stated that the articles support the topic of research with profound background information and highlight that the continuation of the study is necessary.

References

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dental caries and tooth loss in adults in the United States, 2011-2012. (2015). Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Healthy People 2020: Oral health objectives. (2016). Web.

Costa, S., Martins, C., Bonfim, M., Zina, L., Paiva, S., Pordeus, I., & Abreu, M. (2012). A systematic review of socioeconomic indicators and dental caries in adults. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 9(10), 3540-3574.

Costa, S., Vasconcelos, M., & Abreu, M. (2013). High dental caries among adults aged 35-44 years: Case control study of distal and proximal factors. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 10(6), 2401-2411.

Dye, B., Li, X., Thornton-Evans, G. (2012). Oral health disparities as determined by Selected Healthy People 2020 oral health objectives for the United States, 2009-2010.National Center for Health Statistics, 104, 1-8.