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A Longitudinal Effectiveness Study of a Child Obesity Electronic Health Record Tool
Amy Braddock1, Richelle J Koopman2, Jamie Smith2
1From University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (AB, RJK, JS, NW, MC); University of Missouri School of Medicine, Columbia, MO (ASL, SHM); General Pediatrics and Weight Management, Children's Mercy Hospital Center for Children's Healthy Lifestyles & Nutrition, Kansas City, MO, University of MO-Kansas City School of Medicine (SH); Cahaba Family Medicine, Pelham, AL (NM); Internal Medicine-Pediatrics, University of Texas Southwestern, Dallas, Texas (CBT). williamsamy@health.missouri.edu.
Insights
An electronic health record (EHR) tool improved body mass index (BMI) patterns in children with overweight/obesity. This digital solution supports primary care teams in pediatric weight management, particularly for younger children.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Health
- Public Health
- Health Informatics
Background:
- Primary care teams face challenges in effective pediatric weight management due to time constraints.
- Childhood obesity remains a significant public health concern requiring innovative solutions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the effectiveness of an electronic health record (EHR)-enabled tool, FitTastic, in improving body mass index (BMI) patterns in children.
- To assess the impact of FitTastic on pediatric weight management within primary care settings.
Main Methods:
- A controlled effectiveness study involving 291 children (ages 2-17) over 4 years.
- Comparison of FitTastic (EHR-enabled tool) with usual care for managing child obesity.
- Analysis of BMI patterns using chi-squared and logistic regression.
Main Results:
- A significantly higher proportion of children using the EHR tool showed favorable BMI patterns compared to the control group (32% vs 13%, P=.03).
- Children in the FitTastic group were more likely to achieve a favorable BMI pattern at follow-up (OR 3.8).
Conclusions:
- EHR-enabled tools can assist primary care teams in managing childhood overweight and obesity.
- Digital technologies show promise in supporting family-centered behavioral goals for healthy lifestyles.
- FitTastic may be particularly beneficial for younger children (ages 2-5) with overweight/obesity.
Background:
Primary-care providers, clinic staff, and nurses play an important role in reducing child obesity; yet time restraints and clinical demands compete with effective pediatric weight management and prevention.
Methods:
To investigate the potential impact of an electronic health record (EHR) enabled tool to assist primary care teams in addressing child obesity, we conducted a controlled effectiveness study of FitTastic compared with usual care on the BMI pattern of 291 children (2 to 17 years) up to 4 years later.
Results:
Per χ2 analysis, a greater proportion of children with baseline overweight/obesity in the EHR tool group than the control group had a favorable BMI pattern (32% vs 13%, P = .03). In logistic regression, FitTastic children were more likely than control children to have a favorable BMI pattern at follow-up (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 13.2), adjusted for age, gender, race, and parental education.
Conclusion:
Study findings suggest that EHR-enabled tools to assist primary care teams in managing child obesity may be useful for helping to address the weight in children with overweight/obesity, especially in younger children (2 to 5 years). Digital and EHR-enabled technologies may prove useful for partnering health care teams and families in the important tasks of setting positive, family-centered healthy lifestyle behavioral goals and managing child overweight and obesity.
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01:26Longitudinal Studies
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