title: Communicating with children and families about obesity and weight-related topics: a scoping review of best practices.
abstract: Healthcare professionals have called for direction on how best to communicate about weight-related topics with children and families. Established scoping review methodology was used to answer the question: 'How can healthcare professionals best communicate with children and their families about obesity and weight-related topics?'
  
  
  
  We searched four scientific databases, two grey literature repositories and 14 key journals (2005-2016). Inclusion criteria were (i) children up to and including 18 years of age and/or their parents; (ii) communication about healthy weight, overweight, obesity or healthy/active living; and (iii) healthcare setting.
  
  
  
  Thirty-two articles were included. Evidence-based best practices were largely absent from the literature, although the following guiding principles were identified: (i) include all stakeholders in discussions; (ii) raise the topic of weight and health early and regularly; (iii) use strengths-based language emphasizing health over weight; (iv) use collaborative goal-setting to engage children and parents and (v) augment discussions with appropriate tools and resources. Guidance on how to implement these principles and how to negotiate relevant contextual factors (e.g. age, culture and disability) is still needed.
  
  
  
  Despite agreement on a number of guiding principles, evidence-based weight-related communication best practices are lacking. Rigorous, empirical evaluations of communication approaches are urgently required, especially those that include children's perspectives.
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Dalla Lana School of Public Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A C
authors.identifier: 0000-0003-4186-3200
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: McPherson
authors.affiliation: The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Paediatrics, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy and Rehabilitation Sciences Institute, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kingsnorth
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Knibbe
authors.affiliation: Bloorview Research Institute, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Peters
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Swift
authors.affiliation: Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.|Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Krog
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Services, Rehabilitation and Complex Continuing Care, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steinberg
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada.
authors.forename: G D C
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ball
mesh_terms: D001835:Body Weight; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D055317:Evidence-Based Practice; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control*; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D010290:Parents; D011369:Professional-Patient Relations; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
keywords: Children; communication; obesity