Research Paper

Further Information I would Need to Gain a Full Understanding of the Child’s Health:

When gathering information regarding the child’s health, I would like to assess his past medical history, any chronic illnesses, congenital anomalies, family history, nutrition habits, and behavior and activity level (Ball, Dains, Flynn, Solomon, & Stewart, 2015, p. 99).  “Behaviors that influence excess weight gain include eating high-calorie, low-nutrient foods and beverages, not getting enough physical activity, sedentary activities such as watching television or other screen devices, medication use, and sleep routines” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018).  I would like to find out the living situation of this family in terms of financial resources, access to healthy foods, community, number of family members living in the home, and how meals are provided/prepared in the family.   I would also want to know if this child primarily eats his meals at home or if they are provided at school or a care center, as well as whether or not the parents know what the child is consuming daily.  I would ask the parents of this child if they have any underlying medical problems that could potentially carry a genetic or familial component to identify if this patient is at risk as well.

One tool I could use to assess the child’s health needs would be to follow the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) program forms specific to my state.  EPSDT is a federally mandated program that is used to assess the child’s health needs through initial and periodic examinations to ensure that health problems are diagnosed and treated early before they become more complex (Sullivan, 2019, p. 93).  Components of this screening include growth and