Weight counseling patterns of U. S. Pediatricians.
OBJECTIVE
To estimate the proportion and characteristics of U.S. pediatricians who reportedly counsel their patients about maintaining a healthy weight.


METHODS
Beginning in October 1998, information was collected from 813 primary care pediatricians randomly selected from a nationally representative sample. Pediatricians were asked how frequently they counseled about maintaining a healthy weight during the well-care visits of patients in three age groups. Multivariable logistic regression determined which physician characteristics were associated with counseling.


RESULTS
Approximately fifty percent of pediatricians reportedly always counseled about maintaining a healthy weight. Those who always counseled were more likely to be women, to spend more time with patients during well-care visits, and to conduct more well-care visits per week from patients in one particular age group. Most pediatricians who responded that they always counseled about healthy weight reported that they counseled about physical activity and nutrition, but not about balancing caloric intake with expenditure.


CONCLUSIONS
Although many pediatricians report counseling about healthy weight, the frequency of counseling might be further increased by increasing the amount of time the patient spends during office visits with the pediatrician or with other professional staff, such as nurses or dietitians.
Rattay
Karyl Thomas
KT
Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA.
Fulton
Janet E
JE
Galuska
Deborah A
DA
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003376:Counseling; D004046:Dietetics; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009747:Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D010372:Pediatrics; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians' / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013689:Telephone