title: Regional differences as barriers to body mass index screening described by Ohio school nurses.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Body mass index (BMI) screening is advocated by the National Association of School Nurses (NASN). Research identifying barriers to BMI screening in public elementary school settings has been sparse. The purpose of the study was to identify barriers and facilitating factors of BMI screening practices among Ohio school nurses working in suburban, rural, and urban public elementary schools.
  
  
  METHODS
  This descriptive study used focus groups with 25 school nurses in 3 geographic regions of Ohio. An adapted Healthy People 2010 model guided the development of semistructured focus group questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nine regional themes related to BMI screening emerged specific to suburban, rural, and/or urban school nurses' experiences with BMI screening practice, policy, school physical environment, school social environment, school risk/protection, and access to quality health care. Key facilitating factors to BMI screening varied by region. Key barriers to BMI screening were a lack of privacy, time, policy, and workload of school nurses.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Regionally specific facilitating factors to BMI screening in schools provide opportunities for schools to accentuate the positive and to promote school health.
authors: College of Nursing and Health, Wright State University-Miami Valley, Dayton, OH 45401, USA. Ann.stalter@wright.edu
authors: Ann M
authors: AM
authors: Stalter
authors: Rosemary V
authors: RV
authors: Chaudry
authors: Barbara J
authors: BJ
authors: Polivka
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015992:Body Mass Index; D017144:Focus Groups; D005843:Geography; D006291:Health Policy; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D054625:Healthcare Disparities; D040361:Healthy People Programs; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009820:Ohio; D016134:Organizational Policy; D012424:Rural Population; D012573:School Nursing / Q000379:methods*; D012574:Schools / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014505:Urban Population; D016526:Workload