title: Childhood and adolescent obesity: Primary Health Care Physicians' perspectives from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Primary health care (PHC) physicians are foremost to confront childhood and adolescent obesity. Our objective was to evaluate PHC Physicians perspectives for managing overweight/obesity in children and adolescents.
  
  
  METHODS
  PHC services from eight public hospitals in Riyadh participated. A self-administered tool maintaining anonymity evaluated facilitators and barriers for managing overweight/obese children and adolescent patients. Physicians who 'always' recommended weight management for an overweight / obese patient during past year, by involving patient, parents, and others were classified as having positive and appropriate practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 58 respondents, 51.7% had appropriate practices. Lack of patient motivation (82.2%), and parental involvement (70.7%) were the major barriers. Physicians with appropriate practices differed in perspectives from those with less appropriate practices by attending continued education forums (p<0.026), referring patients to sub-specialty (p< 0.041), clinical knowledge (p<0.039), convinced on interventions (p<0.017), low concern for precipitating eating disorders (p<0.019), comfortable in examining obese patients (p<0.020), and considered patient's readiness for weight change (p< 0.007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Efforts are needed to equip PHC physicians in managing overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents.
authors.affiliation: Faiza Nasser AlOtaibi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Faiza Nasser
authors.initials: FN
authors.lastname: AlOtaibi
authors.affiliation: Majeedah AlOtaibi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Majeedah
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: AlOtaibi
authors.affiliation: Shiakhah AlAnazi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Shiakhah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: AlAnazi
authors.affiliation: Hanan Al-Gethami, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Hanan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Al-Gethami
authors.affiliation: Deemah AlAteeq, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Deemah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: AlAteeq
authors.affiliation: Rowaydah Mishiddi, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: Rowaydah
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mishiddi
authors.affiliation: Amna Rehana Siddiqui, Department of Community Health Sciences, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan.
authors.forename: Amna Rehana
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Siddiqui
keywords: Adolescent; Barriers; Childhood; Obesity; Overweight; Primary health care