title: Childhood obesity: knowledge, attitudes, and practices of European pediatric care providers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine and compare attitudes, skills, and practices in childhood obesity management in 4 European countries with different obesity prevalence, health care systems, and economic situations.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was distributed to primary health care providers from France, Italy, Poland, and Ukraine. The questionnaire was returned by 1119 participants with a response rate of 32.4%.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The study revealed that most of the primary health care providers were convinced of their critical role in obesity management but did not feel sufficiently competent to perform effectively. The adherence to recommended practices such as routine weight and height measurements, BMI calculation, and plotting growth parameters on recommended growth charts was poor. Most primary health care providers recognized the need for continuing professional education in obesity management, stressing the importance of appropriate dietary counseling.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study underlines insufficient implementation of national guidelines for management of obesity regardless of the country and its health system. It also makes clear that the critical problem is not elaboration of guidelines but rather creating support systems for implementation of the medical standards among the primary care practitioners.
authors.affiliation: Medical Faculty, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland. drmazur@poczta.onet.pl
authors.forename: Artur
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mazur
authors.forename: Pawel
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Matusik
authors.forename: Krista
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Revert
authors.forename: Sergey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nyankovskyy
authors.forename: Piotr
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Socha
authors.forename: Monika
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Binkowska-Bury
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grzegorczyk
authors.forename: Margherita
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caroli
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hassink
authors.forename: Grzegorz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Telega
authors.forename: Ewa
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Malecka-Tendera
mesh_terms: D000886:Anthropometry; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002648:Child; D002983:Clinical Competence; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D004502:Education, Medical, Continuing; D005194:Family Practice / Q000193:education; D005602:France; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D009765:Obesity / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology*; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000193:education; D011044:Poland; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014455:Ukraine
keywords: children; growth charts; health care provider/services; obesity; primary care