Barriers and Facilitators of Pediatric Weight Management Among Diverse Families

Abstract

Multiple barriers and facilitators affect weight management among at-risk families, which should be considered in future obesity interventions.

Fitwits TM Leads to Improved Parental Recognition of Childhood Obesity and Plans to Encourage Change

“…8,27 Some parents have competing priorities, feel too over-whelmed to adopt a new concern, or express low confidence in controlling the food and behavior environment, including child-rearing by extended family members. 28,35 The new childhood "norm" of excess body weight makes it difficult for parents and youth to know what healthy children look like. 33,36 Although the Institute of Medicine (2005) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (2007) endorsed the term obesity in child BMI percentile determinations, 34,37,38 some of the pediatric literature finds it pejorative or insensitive for family discussions and shows preference for terms such as unhealthy weight.…”

“…21,25,28,34,35,44 Most responses to 9 behavioral questions before the intervention (Table 2) suggested high consumption of sweetened beverages and junk food, prolonged screen time, and a television in the child's bedroom. These survey questions set the tone of behavioral messages for the coming Fitwits discussion.…”

Coordinating Care for Obese Latino Youth to Improve Visit Adherence

“…7 Among the many barriers that Latinos face seeking health care, distance is a significant barrier when frequent specialty care visits are warranted. 6,20 Although many tactics have been employed to combat the growing trend of obesity in this clinic, recently there have been higher success rates for decreasing weight and engaging in healthy lifestyle changes by initiating referral to the multidisciplinary pediatric weight management clinic. A commonly expressed barrier described by Latino patients is distance to the weight management clinic.…”

“…5 It is reported that Latino youth have disproportionately poorer health outcomes as a result of obesity. 5,6 The consequences of childhood obesity can have substantial physical, emotional, and economic impact. Frequent outcomes include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, sleep apnea, as well as social and psychological problems, such as stigmatization, discrimination, and poor selfesteem.…”

“…Frequent outcomes include cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, orthopedic problems, sleep apnea, as well as social and psychological problems, such as stigmatization, discrimination, and poor selfesteem. [6][7][8][9] Childhood obesity can also affect academic success. Gable et al 10 found an association between weight status and math test scores among both obese boys and girls, who performed lower on math testing, beginning in the first grade and continuing to lag through the fifth grade.…”