Massachusetts Pediatricians' Views Toward Body Mass Index Screening in Schools: Continued Controversy

Objective Evaluate Massachusetts pediatricians' views toward school-based body mass index screening since its implementation. Methods Survey of 286 members of the Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics on attitudes toward screening and perceived impact on clinical practice. Results Overall, 36.3% supported screening, with suburban or rural pediatricians significantly less likely (vs urban) to indicate support. Less than 10% of pediatricians agreed or strongly agreed that screening improved communication with schools (4.2%), communication with families (8.9%), or helped them care for patients (7.0%), with suburban or rural pediatricians significantly less likely to agree. Most pediatricians reported contact from patients regarding screening (59.4%) and identifying concerns from patients regarding screening during office visits (60.4%), including bullying and self-esteem. Suburban or rural pediatricians were significantly more likely to report patient contact and concerns related to screening. Conclusions Support for school-based body mass index screening is low among Massachusetts pediatricians, particularly among suburban and rural pediatricians.