Instructions: Read the following case study and answer the reflective questions. Please provide rationales for your answers. Make sure to provide citations/references for your answers in APA format.

CASE STUDY: Preschool Child: Ricky

Ricky, age 4 years, arrives in the clinic with his mother. Ricky lives with his mother and father, who both work full-time, and his infant sister. Their extended family lives in a different state more than 100 miles away. Both parents are of average height and in good health. Ricky’s mother mentions that Ricky often expresses frustration, particularly in regard to food. Conflict over food occurs every day. Mealtime is a battle to get him to eat, unless his mother feeds him. Ricky’s baby sister seems to tolerate all baby foods but requires her mother to spoon-feed. Ricky’s mother is quite frustrated and concerned that he will become malnourished.

Reflective Questions

1. What additional assessment information would you collect?

2. What questions would you ask, and how would you further explore this issue with the mother?

3. In what ways does the distance of the extended family influence this family’s approach to health promotion?

4. What factors would you consider to determine whether malnourishment is a factor in this family

Answer preview

In addition to the information collected about Ricky’s age, his family, his extended family, their living conditions, and the lack of appetite, there is also a need to collect information about Ricky’s medical history (Rossen, Buus, Stenager, & Stenager, 2016). It is advisable to be adequately informed about a patient’s medical history since it could be valuable information towards determining any current symptoms. In addition to that, acquiring the family’s medical history is crucial since medical conditions can be traced back to hereditary genes. Therefore, gaining insight into his family’s medical history could be vital for any potential treatment plan. Thirdly, since Ricky’s and his younger sister’s problem seems to be food-related, information about the children’s food is also vital since it could help involve a nutritionist in the investigations (Rossen, Buus, Stenager, & Stenager, 2016). Furthermore, taking Ricky through a physical test to determine if he may be having an underlying issue that may be affecting his appetite could also be significant in the final treatment plan.

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