Journal of Obesity & Eating Disorders

Description

Childhood obesity is a prevalent public health concern in the United States, affecting approximately one in three children. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated this issue, highlighting the urgent need for early intervention to mitigate associated health risks such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular diseases. Children with overweight or obesity are at heightened risk of developing these conditions later in life, underscoring the critical role of pediatricians in obesity prevention through proactive screening, communication, and anticipatory guidance.

Pediatricians play a pivotal role in addressing childhood obesity by integrating routine growth monitoring and screening for obesity-related comorbidities into primary care practices, as recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics. However, despite these guidelines, both parents and providers often hesitate to discuss weight-related issues during pediatric visits. Challenges such as time constraints, resource limitations, discomfort in bring up the subject, uncertainty about effective communication strategies, and concerns about parental reactions contribute to this avoidance. These communication barriers are particularly pronounced in children under two years of age, where pediatricians lack standardized guidelines for obesity diagnosis and risk assessment. Moreover, parents may not perceive excess weight in infancy as a health concern, indicating a gap in parental awareness and understanding of early childhood obesity risk.

In response to these challenges, our study aims to contribute to the development of effective tools and strategies that facilitate pediatric provider-parent communication on obesity prevention in early childhood. Building upon a needs assessment conducted previously with parents of infants and toddlers, which highlighted their suggestions to guidance from pediatricians and desire for clear, practical advice on infant feeding, active play, and recognizing signs of fullness, our current research focuses on co-designing communication tools.

The primary objective is to engage both parents and pediatric providers in the co-design process. By involving stakeholders directly in the development of tools, we aim to create resources that address the specific needs and preferences identified in our needs assessment. These tools will be tailored to provide ageappropriate, actionable information that supports parents in fostering healthy behaviors from infancy. Key areas of focus include promoting nutritious eating habits, encouraging physical activity suitable for early development stages, and enhancing parental awareness of obesity risk factors and prevention strategies.

Collaboration between parents and pediatricians in tool development ensures that the resulting resources are not only evidence-based but also relevant and accessible in real-world clinical settings. This participatory approach fosters a sense of ownership among stakeholders, increasing the likelihood of successful implementation and uptake in routine pediatric care practices.

By bridging the gap between current pediatric obesity prevention guidelines and practical, effective communication strategies, our study aims to empower pediatricians with the tools they need to initiate meaningful conversations with parents about early childhood obesity. Ultimately, we anticipate that improving communication in this critical area will lead to enhanced parental engagement, better health outcomes for children, and a foundation for lifelong healthy habits.

In conclusion, addressing childhood obesity requires a collaborative effort that starts early in life. By co-designing communication tools with input from parents and pediatric providers, our study seeks to strengthen the capacity of primary care settings to effectively prevent and manage childhood obesity, thereby promoting healthier futures for children across the United States.