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Abstract #159744

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Amanda Philyaw¹, Martha M. Phillips, PhD, MPH, MBA², C. Heath Gauss, MS¹, Victoria L. Evans, MPH¹, Zoran Bursac, PhD¹, and James M. Raczynski, PhD¹. (1) Fay W. Boozman College of Public Health, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 W Markham, Slot 820, Little Rock, AR 72205, (501)686-6802, philyawamandag@uams.edu, (2) Division of Health, Center for Public Health Practice, Arkansas Department of Health & Human Services, 4815 West Markham Street, PO Box 1437, Slot H-32, Little Rock, AR 72203-1437

Several states and school districts have started measuring children's body mass index (BMI) and reporting that information to parents. However, there is little empirical evidence of the impact of BMI reports on parental actions regarding child health. Following the initiation of BMI measurement and reporting in Arkansas, annual statewide surveys have asked parents of Arkansas public school children to report their child's height and weight and recent activities related to weight control. BMI was calculated and categorized into overweight/at-risk of overweight (OW) or healthy weight/underweight (HW) groups based on CDC age-gender BMI percentiles at baseline (Year 1) and Year 3. Multivariate regression analyses assessed differences in parental actions for OW and HW groups, adjusted for child's age and gender and parent's race. Proportions of parents in each group seeking professional help, putting child on a diet, having child take diet pills/herbal supplements, or increasing child's physical activity did not differ significantly across years, after adjustment for child's age and gender and parent's race. However, results revealed that in both years more parents of OW than HW children reported seeking professional help, putting child on a diet, and increasing physical activity. Possible explanations for the lack of observed behavioral change will be explored, with emphasis placed on implications for future program efforts to achieve the desired parental behavior changes.

Learning Objectives:

• Understand how schools collected and distributed child BMI reports.
• Describe characteristics of parent actions that differed between study groups.
• Identify policy and program efforts that might influence parent behavior change.

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Any relevant financial relationships? No
Any institutionally-contracted trials related to this submission?

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.

• Slides (pdf) or Handout
• Multimedia recording