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Assessment of Child Anthropometry in a Large Epidemiologic Study
Published on: February 2, 2017
Identification and assessment of childhood obesity by school-based health center providers
Insights
School-based health centers (SBHCs) caring for overweight children often screen for hypertension and cardiovascular disease. However, provider adherence to some obesity assessment guidelines requires improvement, suggesting a need for further training.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Obesity Medicine
Background:
- School-based health centers (SBHCs) are crucial for addressing childhood obesity.
- Limited data exists on SBHC provider adherence to established obesity management guidelines.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the current obesity care assessment practices of SBHC providers.
- To evaluate provider adherence to obesity guidelines before specialized training.
Main Methods:
- A descriptive study involving 33 providers from SBHCs across six US states.
- Utilized The International Life Science Institute Research Foundation Assessment of Overweight in Children and Adolescents Survey.
Main Results:
- Nearly all providers (93.9%) use body mass index percentile for weight assessment.
- Hypertension (100%) and cardiovascular disease (93.9%) screening are common.
- Routine adherence to all assessment guidelines was not consistently reported, with only two-thirds requesting lipid profiles.
Conclusions:
- SBHCs serve a vulnerable population with high obesity rates.
- Providers may require enhanced training on assessment guidelines and quality improvement.
- Improving adherence to obesity guidelines in SBHCs is essential for better patient outcomes.
Introduction:
School-based health centers (SBHCs) serve many overweight/obese children, yet little is known about provider adherence to obesity guidelines. The purpose of this descriptive study was to evaluate obesity care assessment practices of SBHC providers prior to completing training on obesity guidelines.
Method:
Providers (n = 33) from SBHCs in six states (AZ, CO, NM, MI, NY, and NC) completed The International Life Science Institute Research Foundation Assessment of Overweight in Children and Adolescents Survey.
Results:
Most providers reported using body mass index percentile (93.9%) to assess weight. In caring for overweight/obese children, providers reported screening for hypertension 100% of the time and cardiovascular disease 93.9% of the time, and approximately two thirds reported requesting total cholesterol and lipid profile laboratory assessments. Some assessment guidelines were not routinely followed.
Discussion:
SBHCs serve a high-risk population, and providers in this study may benefit from additional training on assessment guidelines and quality improvement processes to improve adherence to current guidelines.
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