NR 717 Week 2 Discussion Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

NR 717 Week 2 Discussion Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

Student Name

Chamberlain University

NR-717: Concepts in Population Health Outcomes & Health Policy

Prof. Name:

Date

NR 717 Week 2 Discussion: Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

Introduction

This week’s discussion focuses on the public health problem of obesity among non-Hispanic Black African Americans living in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Addressing obesity in this population requires an approach that blends epidemiologic principles, health surveillance strategies, and ethical data practices. Both national and local statistics highlight the disproportionate burden of obesity within this community, shaped by socioeconomic conditions, cultural influences, and environmental challenges.

The integration of descriptive and analytic epidemiology provides insight into who is most at risk, why disparities exist, and which interventions are most effective (CDC, 2022). At the same time, health surveillance systems allow policymakers and healthcare providers to monitor trends, allocate resources strategically, and design culturally responsive interventions. Ensuring ethical considerations, such as privacy and equity, strengthens trust and advances long-term health equity goals (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2022).

Explore the Epidemiologic Principles and Measures Used

Definition of Overweight and Obesity

The Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (2022) defines overweight and obesity using Body Mass Index (BMI):

Obesity is associated with serious health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancers, and premature death (Miller et al., 2022).

Epidemiology of Obesity

National Level
At the national scale, obesity is tracked using prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates. The CDC (2022) reports that 46.8% of non-Hispanic Black adults are obese, compared to 37.9% of non-Hispanic Whites and 12.7% of non-Hispanic Asians, illustrating racial disparities in health outcomes.

Local Level (Prince George’s County)
Prince George’s County reflects—and in some cases exceeds—these national averages. In 2015, 30.7% of adults and 15.1% of adolescents in the county were obese, compared with state averages of 28.9% and 11.5%, respectively (HHS, 2020). By 2021, obesity among African American adults rose to 43.8%, higher than both the Maryland rate (34.1%) and the national rate (33.9%).

Table 1. Comparison of Obesity Prevalence

Examine the Use of Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology

Descriptive Epidemiology

Descriptive epidemiology focuses on who, where, and when obesity occurs. In Prince George’s County:

• By Person: African American women are disproportionately affected, with a prevalence of 75.5%, compared to 61.8% among White women.
• By Place: Low-income areas have fewer grocery stores and limited access to safe recreational facilities.
• By Time: Obesity has consistently increased over the last two decades (CDC, 2024).

Life expectancy is also impacted; African Americans in the county live 77.7 years on average, with a 19% higher all-cause mortality rate compared to Whites (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2022).

Analytic Epidemiology

Analytic methods investigate the causes and determinants of obesity in this group. Key factors include:

• Socioeconomic status: Limited financial resources restrict healthy dietary choices and access to structured physical activity (Barrington et al., 2021).
• Environmental conditions: The county has an abundance of fast-food chains but few full-service supermarkets, fostering unhealthy eating habits (Bleich & Ard, 2021).
• Healthcare barriers: Implicit bias and lack of culturally competent providers negatively affect care outcomes (Hui et al., 2020).

Propose How You Might Use Surveillance

Health surveillance can be a powerful tool for reducing obesity by enabling real-time data-driven decision-making. In Prince George’s County, surveillance could:

• Track Trends: Monitor obesity rates over time to assess whether interventions are working.
• Allocate Resources: Identify “hot spots” of obesity and prioritize communities most in need.
• Support Policy Change: Use evidence to push for better zoning laws, healthier school lunches, and urban planning reforms.
• Improve Clinical Care: Incorporate digital health technologies such as wearable devices for tracking weight and activity, providing timely feedback.

Anticipate Ethical Concerns

Using surveillance data raises several ethical issues:

• Confidentiality & Privacy: Safeguarding personal health data from misuse.
• Stigmatization: Avoiding language or practices that reinforce negative stereotypes about obesity.
• Equity in Access: Ensuring interventions reach all socioeconomic groups equitably.
• Structural Racism: Recognizing and addressing systemic racism that drives disparities (Longmire-Avital & McQueen, 2019).
• Informed Consent: Securing participant consent when data collection goes beyond routine reporting.

Ethically sound interventions must integrate cultural competence, socioeconomic awareness, and equity principles to ensure public trust and effectiveness (Payne-Sturges et al., 2021).

Conclusion

Obesity among African Americans in Prince George’s County is a pressing public health issue that requires a comprehensive and ethical strategy. Descriptive epidemiology identifies the scope of the problem, while analytic methods reveal the root causes. Health surveillance systems are essential to monitor progress and guide policy reforms. By embedding cultural sensitivity, ethical safeguards, and equity-driven practices, interventions can reduce disparities and foster long-term community health improvements.

References

(Kept APA 7th edition; expanded as needed)

Barrington, D. S., James, S. A., & Williams, D. R. (2021). Socioeconomic correlates of obesity in African American and Caribbean-Black men and women. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8(2), 422–432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00798-4

Bleich, S. N., & Ard, J. D. (2021). COVID-19, obesity, and structural racism: Understanding the past and identifying solutions for the future. Cell Metabolism, 33(2), 234–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.01.010

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Obesity prevalence in the U.S. https://www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024). Trends in obesity-related health outcomes. https://www.cdc.gov

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., & Afful, J. (2021). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults: United States, 1960–2018. National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs

Hui, B. Y., Roberts, A., & Thompson, K. J. (2020). Outcomes of bariatric surgery in African Americans: An analysis of MBSAQIP registry data. Obesity Surgery, 30(12), 4275–4285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04820-w

Lofton, H., Ard, J. D., Hunt, R. R., & Knight, M. G. (2023). Obesity among African Americans: A review. Obesity, 31(2), 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23640

Longmire-Avital, B., & McQueen, C. (2019). Exploring race-related stress and emotional eating among Black women. Women & Health, 59(3), 240–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2018.1478361

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2022). Obesity in Maryland and Prince George’s County. https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

Miller, H. N., Perrin, N., Thorpe, R. J., Evans, M. K., Zonderman, A. B., & Allen, J. (2022). Discrimination and BMI trajectories: A prospective study of African American adults. Family & Community Health, 45(3), 206–213. https://doi.org/10.1097/FCH.0000000000000326

Payne-Sturges, D. C., Gee, G. C., & Cory-Slechta, D. A. (2021). Confronting racism in environmental health sciences. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129(5), 055002. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8186

US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. (2020). Minority health framework for eliminating disparities. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov

NR 717 Week 2 Discussion: Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

Introduction

This week’s discussion focuses on the public health problem of obesity among non-Hispanic Black African Americans living in Prince George’s County, Maryland. Addressing obesity in this population requires an approach that blends epidemiologic principles, health surveillance strategies, and ethical data practices. Both national and local statistics highlight the disproportionate burden of obesity within this community, shaped by socioeconomic conditions, cultural influences, and environmental challenges.

The integration of descriptive and analytic epidemiology provides insight into who is most at risk, why disparities exist, and which interventions are most effective (CDC, 2022). At the same time, health surveillance systems allow policymakers and healthcare providers to monitor trends, allocate resources strategically, and design culturally responsive interventions. Ensuring ethical considerations, such as privacy and equity, strengthens trust and advances long-term health equity goals (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2022).

Explore the Epidemiologic Principles and Measures Used

Definition of Overweight and Obesity

The Maryland Department of Health & Mental Hygiene (2022) defines overweight and obesity using Body Mass Index (BMI):

Obesity is associated with serious health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, cancers, and premature death (Miller et al., 2022).

Epidemiology of Obesity

National Level
At the national scale, obesity is tracked using prevalence, incidence, and mortality rates. The CDC (2022) reports that 46.8% of non-Hispanic Black adults are obese, compared to 37.9% of non-Hispanic Whites and 12.7% of non-Hispanic Asians, illustrating racial disparities in health outcomes.

Local Level (Prince George’s County)
Prince George’s County reflects—and in some cases exceeds—these national averages. In 2015, 30.7% of adults and 15.1% of adolescents in the county were obese, compared with state averages of 28.9% and 11.5%, respectively (HHS, 2020). By 2021, obesity among African American adults rose to 43.8%, higher than both the Maryland rate (34.1%) and the national rate (33.9%).

Table 1. Comparison of Obesity Prevalence

Examine the Use of Descriptive and Analytic Epidemiology

Descriptive Epidemiology

Descriptive epidemiology focuses on who, where, and when obesity occurs. In Prince George’s County:

• By Person: African American women are disproportionately affected, with a prevalence of 75.5%, compared to 61.8% among White women.
• By Place: Low-income areas have fewer grocery stores and limited access to safe recreational facilities.
• By Time: Obesity has consistently increased over the last two decades (CDC, 2024).

Life expectancy is also impacted; African Americans in the county live 77.7 years on average, with a 19% higher all-cause mortality rate compared to Whites (Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, 2022).

Analytic Epidemiology

Analytic methods investigate the causes and determinants of obesity in this group. Key factors include:

• Socioeconomic status: Limited financial resources restrict healthy dietary choices and access to structured physical activity (Barrington et al., 2021).
• Environmental conditions: The county has an abundance of fast-food chains but few full-service supermarkets, fostering unhealthy eating habits (Bleich & Ard, 2021).
• Healthcare barriers: Implicit bias and lack of culturally competent providers negatively affect care outcomes (Hui et al., 2020).

Propose How You Might Use Surveillance

Health surveillance can be a powerful tool for reducing obesity by enabling real-time data-driven decision-making. In Prince George’s County, surveillance could:

• Track Trends: Monitor obesity rates over time to assess whether interventions are working.
• Allocate Resources: Identify “hot spots” of obesity and prioritize communities most in need.
• Support Policy Change: Use evidence to push for better zoning laws, healthier school lunches, and urban planning reforms.
• Improve Clinical Care: Incorporate digital health technologies such as wearable devices for tracking weight and activity, providing timely feedback.

Anticipate Ethical Concerns

Using surveillance data raises several ethical issues:

• Confidentiality & Privacy: Safeguarding personal health data from misuse.
• Stigmatization: Avoiding language or practices that reinforce negative stereotypes about obesity.
• Equity in Access: Ensuring interventions reach all socioeconomic groups equitably.
• Structural Racism: Recognizing and addressing systemic racism that drives disparities (Longmire-Avital & McQueen, 2019).
• Informed Consent: Securing participant consent when data collection goes beyond routine reporting.

Ethically sound interventions must integrate cultural competence, socioeconomic awareness, and equity principles to ensure public trust and effectiveness (Payne-Sturges et al., 2021).

Conclusion

Obesity among African Americans in Prince George’s County is a pressing public health issue that requires a comprehensive and ethical strategy. Descriptive epidemiology identifies the scope of the problem, while analytic methods reveal the root causes. Health surveillance systems are essential to monitor progress and guide policy reforms. By embedding cultural sensitivity, ethical safeguards, and equity-driven practices, interventions can reduce disparities and foster long-term community health improvements.

References

(Kept APA 7th edition; expanded as needed)

Barrington, D. S., James, S. A., & Williams, D. R. (2021). Socioeconomic correlates of obesity in African American and Caribbean-Black men and women. Journal of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities, 8(2), 422–432. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-020-00798-4

Bleich, S. N., & Ard, J. D. (2021). COVID-19, obesity, and structural racism: Understanding the past and identifying solutions for the future. Cell Metabolism, 33(2), 234–241. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2021.01.010

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2022). Obesity prevalence in the U.S. https://www.cdc.gov

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2024). Trends in obesity-related health outcomes. https://www.cdc.gov

Fryar, C. D., Carroll, M. D., & Afful, J. (2021). Prevalence of overweight, obesity, and severe obesity among adults: United States, 1960–2018. National Center for Health Statistics. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs

NR 717 Week 2 Discussion Epidemiology and Health Surveillance

Hui, B. Y., Roberts, A., & Thompson, K. J. (2020). Outcomes of bariatric surgery in African Americans: An analysis of MBSAQIP registry data. Obesity Surgery, 30(12), 4275–4285. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11695-020-04820-w

Lofton, H., Ard, J. D., Hunt, R. R., & Knight, M. G. (2023). Obesity among African Americans: A review. Obesity, 31(2), 306–315. https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.23640

Longmire-Avital, B., & McQueen, C. (2019). Exploring race-related stress and emotional eating among Black women. Women & Health, 59(3), 240–251. https://doi.org/10.1080/03630242.2018.1478361

Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. (2022). Obesity in Maryland and Prince George’s County. https://www.princegeorgescountymd.gov

Miller, H. N., Perrin, N., Thorpe, R. J., Evans, M. K., Zonderman, A. B., & Allen, J. (2022). Discrimination and BMI trajectories: A prospective study of African American adults. Family & Community Health, 45(3), 206–213. https://doi.org/10.1097/FCH.0000000000000326

Payne-Sturges, D. C., Gee, G. C., & Cory-Slechta, D. A. (2021). Confronting racism in environmental health sciences. Environmental Health Perspectives, 129(5), 055002. https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP8186

US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health. (2020). Minority health framework for eliminating disparities. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov