title: Interventions for prevention of childhood obesity in primary care: a qualitative study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preventing childhood obesity is a public health priority, and primary care is an important setting for early intervention. Authors of a recent national guideline have identified a need for effective primary care interventions for obesity prevention and that parent perspectives on interventions are notably absent from the literature. Our objective was to determine the perspectives of primary care clinicians and parents of children 2-5 years of age on the implementation of an obesity prevention intervention within team-based primary care to inform intervention implementation.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted focus groups with interprofessional primary care clinicians (n = 40) and interviews with parents (n = 26). Participants were asked about facilitators and barriers to, and recommendations for implementing a prevention program in primary care. Data were recorded and transcribed, and we used directed content analysis to identify major themes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barriers existed to addressing obesity-related behaviours in this age group and included a gap in well-child primary care between ages 18 months and 4-5 years, lack of time and sensitivity of the topic. Trust and existing relationships with primary care clinicians were facilitators to program implementation. Offering separate programs for parents and children, and addressing both general parenting topics and obesity-related behaviours were identified as desirable.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite barriers to addressing obesity-related behaviours within well-child primary care, both clinicians and parents expressed interest in interventions in primary care settings. Next steps should include pilot studies to identify feasible strategies for intervention implementation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (Bourgeois, Brauer, Randall Simpson, Haines), University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.; Family Practice Health Centre (Bourgeois, Kim), Women's College Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kim), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Nicole
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bourgeois
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (Bourgeois, Brauer, Randall Simpson, Haines), University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.; Family Practice Health Centre (Bourgeois, Kim), Women's College Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kim), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Paula
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Brauer
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (Bourgeois, Brauer, Randall Simpson, Haines), University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.; Family Practice Health Centre (Bourgeois, Kim), Women's College Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kim), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Janis Randall
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Simpson
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (Bourgeois, Brauer, Randall Simpson, Haines), University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.; Family Practice Health Centre (Bourgeois, Kim), Women's College Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kim), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Susie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition (Bourgeois, Brauer, Randall Simpson, Haines), University of Guelph, Guelph, Ont.; Family Practice Health Centre (Bourgeois, Kim), Women's College Hospital; Department of Family and Community Medicine (Kim), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haines