Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #106734

Ihuoma Eneli, MD, MS¹, Lisa Dilernia, RN², Ioanna D. Kalogiros, MA³, Kaitlin McDonald, BS¹, Jonathan Gold, MD¹, James Pivarnik, PhD⁴, Judith Brady, PhD¹, Karen Davis, MD¹, Monica Goble, MD¹, and Dele H. Davies, MD MSc¹. (1) Department of Pediatrics, Michigan State University, B240 Life Sciences, East Lansing, MI 48824, 517-355-2145, eneli@msu.edu, (2) Child Health Care Clinic, Michigan State University, A110 Clinical Center, East Lansing, MI 48824, (3) Department of Psychology, Lutheran Medical Center, 514 49th Street, Lutheran Medical Center, Brooklyn, NY 11220, (4) Department of Kinesiology, Michigan State University, 3 IM Sports Circle, East Lansing, MI 48824

Background: The rising prevalence of childhood obesity associated with serious medical complications and economic costs signal a need for innovative intervention programs.

Objective: To develop an obesity program for obese children on Medicaid.

Methods: The conceptual framework for the ‘IM FIT' program was based on an extensive review of the pediatric obesity literature, a needs assessment survey, and input from a multidisciplinary team of experts. Results of the needs assessment survey were incorporated into a six-month intervention program. Key theoretical elements included assessment of participants' receptivity to change, principles of behavior modification, and perceptions of self and response efficacy.

Results: A majority (68%) of the 345 parents from two pediatric practices, who completed the needs assessment survey, felt that the physician's office was the best place to manage an overweight child. The term ‘gaining too much weight' was preferred 2:1 to ‘overweight' (50.7 vs. 26%) when referring to a concern about overweight in a child. About two-thirds (60.2%) of parents favored the combination of individual and group visits for the treatment of obesity, rather than individual visits (16.7%) or group sessions alone (22.9%). The resulting six-month program includes group visits and individual visits with the physician, nutritionist, exercise therapist and psychologist. Pre and post-test evaluations will include items on self-esteem, knowledge, participant satisfaction, anthropometric measures, and program feasibility.

Conclusion: Our program plan allows us to test innovative components of a non-traditional obesity program which emphasizes patient directed choices, individual sessions, with the primary care physician coordinating care.

Learning Objectives:

• Discuss the components of developing a childhood obesity program for implementation within a primary care setting.

Keywords: Obesity,

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.