Parental Priorities for Childhood Obesity Management in Primary Care

Parents have an important influence on the management of childhood obesity, yet parental priorities for obesity management have not been deeply explored. The purpose of this study was to explore parent-generated preferences for primary care management of childhood obesity across a broad range of child ages.

In this qualitative study, parents of 4- to 17-year-old children with obesity participated in semi-structured virtual interviews about their experiences with and priorities for primary care management of obesity. Inductive thematic analysis was performed using the constant comparative method.

Among 20 participants interviewed, 19 self-identified as female and 17 as White, with average child age of 10.9 years old (SD = 3.6, range 4-17). We identified three themes. Participants preferred that providers (1) reinforce family-based Care Across Contexts, recognizing that several competing factors influence health as children grow in autonomy, (2) prioritize a Need for Sensitivity, focusing on holistic health and avoiding stigmatizing language, and (3) embrace Collaborative Action-Based Approaches, leveraging parental insight and encouraging allied health visits to support parents in managing childhood obesity.

As parents help children navigate increasing autonomy and competing influences on health, obesity management may require providers to take a parent-centered approach to childhood obesity care, specifically reinforcing parent-led healthy habits and equipping parents with skills to mediate obesity management for their children in partnership with allied health providers.