title: Social/Electronic Media Use of Children and Adolescents Who Attend the Pediatric Weight Management Programs of the COMPASS Network.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a major healthcare problem in youth and their social/electronic media (SEM) use has been described as a risk factor. Though much is known about the newer technologies youth use to communicate, little is known about what is used by those in weight management programs. The aim of this study was to determine what types of SEM, including sedentary and active video games, youth in weight management programs use and which they prefer for communicating with healthcare providers.
  
  
  METHODS
  This was a multisite study using a 24-question online SurveyMonkey® questionnaire. Youth, 12-17 years old, attending pediatric weight management programs at seven participating centers in the Childhood Obesity Multi Program Analysis and Study System network were eligible.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 292 responders with a mean age of 14.2 years. Fifty-four percent were female, 36% Caucasian, 35% African American, and 33% were Hispanic. Ninety-four percent had access to a computer, 71% had Internet access, and 63% had smartphones. Whereas 87% had at least one gaming system at home, 50% reported they never played sedentary video games (71% of females vs. 25% males; p < 0.0001) and 63% never played exercise video games during the week. The preferred method of communication with a healthcare provider was face to face (60%), with few indicating a preference for communication by texting (13%), phone (12%), or social media (6%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Face-to-face communication with healthcare providers is the preferred method for youth in pediatric weight management programs. They self-reported video game use less than previously described.
authors: 1 Heart Institute, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, OH.
authors: Robert
authors: R
authors: Siegel
authors: 2 Florida Hospital for Children , Orlando, FL.
authors: Angela
authors: A
authors: Fals
authors: 3 Children's National Medical Center , Washington, DC.
authors: Nazrat
authors: N
authors: Mirza
authors: 4 Department of General Pediatrics, Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children , Wilmington, DE.
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Datto
authors: 5 Helen DeVos Children's Hospital , Grand Rapids, MI.
authors: William
authors: W
authors: Stratbucker
authors: 6 UH Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital , Cleveland, OH.
authors: Carolyn E
authors: CE
authors: Ievers-Landis
authors: 7 Department of Pediatrics, University of Illinois College of Medicine at Peoria , Peoria, IL.
authors: Amy
authors: A
authors: Christison
authors: 8 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center , Cincinnati, OH.
authors: Yu
authors: Y
authors: Wang
authors: 9 Department of Pediatrics, University of Michigan , Ann Arbor, MI.
authors: Susan J
authors: SJ
authors: Woolford
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D002648:Child; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D015444:Exercise; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D063766:Pediatric Obesity / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011998:Recreation; D057185:Sedentary Behavior; D017678:Sex Distribution; D062410:Snacks; D061108:Social Media; D013690:Television; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D018910:Video Games; D061217:Weight Reduction Programs