Preventing and Treating Obesity: Pediatricians' Self-Efficacy, Barriers, Resources, and Advocacy

Objective.—With respect to obesity prevention and treatment, to determine pediatricians' 1) treatment self-efficacy; 2) perceived barriers and relationships to management self-efficacy; 3) desired resources; and 4) willingness to be involved in advocacy.

Methodology.—A cross-sectional, self-administered mail survey queried members of the North Carolina Pediatrics Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics who were practicing routine care.

Results.—The adjusted response rate was 71% (n = 356). Only 12% of respondents reported high self-efficacy in obesity management, yet 39% believed that physicians could potentially be effective. The most frequently encountered barriers to obesity management included availability of fast food (97%) and soft drinks (95%). However, some practice-based barriers were most strongly associated with self-efficacy. Odds of high self-efficacy were lower for respondents who reported lack of non-MD staff reimbursement (odds ratio [OR] = 0.73; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.58, 0.92), lack of on-site dietitian (OR = 0.65; 95% CI = 0.50, 0.83), or lack of patient educational materials (OR = 0.67; 95% CI = 0.50, 0.89), compared with those who reported encountering these barriers infrequently. Respondents chose better counseling tools (96%) as the most helpful clinical resource for obesity management. Most (89%) were willing to take at least a small role in advocacy efforts.

Conclusions.—Most pediatricians reported feeling ineffective in their ability to treat obesity. Some practice-based barriers were specifically associated with low self-efficacy. However, pediatricians welcomed multiple clinical resources for obesity management and expressed willingness to advocate for policy change. Practice-based tool kits and efforts to engage willing participants in advocacy may help pediatricians combat this epidemic.

KEY WORDS:  advocacy , barriers , obesity , overweight , self-efficacy