Improving the attitudes of primary care practitioners toward adolescent care: a pre-post intervention pilot study

Background Investing in adolescent health is among the most cost-effective health measures. Primary care practitioners are ideally positioned to deliver such interventions. However, several barriers hinder them from engaging with adolescents. Objective To pilot test the impact of a 1-day training session on adolescent health on the attitudes of primary care practitioners toward adolescent care. Subjects Participants were family physicians and nurses enrolled in a 1-day training session on adolescent health. Methods A non-randomized, pre-post intervention study with no control group. Data on barriers for providing care to adolescents, preferred pediatric age group and attitudes toward adolescent care were collected immediately prior. Participants' attitudes were measured again immediately after training. Results Most participants reported they preferred to attend pediatric groups other than adolescents. The most frequently reported barriers were: excessive amount of time needed and lack of training. Participants reported positive pre-training attitudes, with mean scores above the midpoint of the scale in all dimensions. Significant positive improvements were observed after training in Adequacy, Self-esteem and Satisfaction. Subgroup analysis showed that at baseline, professionals who preferred to work with adolescents had significantly more positive attitudes in Adequacy, Self-esteem and Satisfaction. After training there was a general improvement in attitudes in both groups, with attenuation of the differences between them. Conclusion Participation in a 1-day tailored educational intervention on adolescent health had a positive impact on the attitudes of primary care practitioners, regardless of their preferred age group. This improvement may lead to more active engagement with adolescents and substantial health gains.