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

Abstract #115308

Noemi Baffy, BS¹, Louise Lisi, MD, MPH², and Mariana Chilton, PhD, MPH¹. (1) Department of Community Health and Prevention, Drexel University School of Public Health, 245 N. 15th Street, Mail Stop 660, Philadelphia, PA 19102, 508-454-0022, njb35@drexel.edu, (2) Pediatric Medical Specialist, Philadelphia Department of Public Health, 131 E. Chelten Ave, Germantown, PA 19144

Background: In Southeastern Pennsylvania, almost 40% of children are obese or at risk for obesity (BMI >85%). In response, in April 2004, the PDPH opened the doors of a multi-disciplinary pediatric obesity clinic to address this problem in the Philadelphia community. The clinic became known as 215-GO!, an acronym for no more than 2 hours of screen-time, 1 hour of physical activity, 5 servings of fruits and vegetables per day, and GO!. Staff members experience challenges maintaining patient participation and keeping families involved. Objective: To determine the factors that influence parents and children in attending the 215-GO! clinic. To provide quality improvement information and recommendations for 215-GO! staff members. Design/Methods: A survey was developed for the parents of children who were referred to the clinic to address the high rate of attrition from the program. Included are qualitative and quantitative questions. Results: Between April and December 2004, a total of 128 individual patients scheduled appointments with 215-GO!. Among them, 60 patients did not keep their appointments, 40 only attended the initial visit, and 28 attended more than once. It appears from preliminary discussions with parents, that scheduling difficulties are the most pertinent barriers to attendance. Other results on potential difficulties families may face including food insecurity status, transportation problems, quality of health care, and parental perceptions of the child's weight as a problem will be presented. Conclusion: By understanding why patients discontinue or never start services, providers and administrators can develop interventions to improve retention and to improve health outcomes.

Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of the session, the participant (learner) in this session will be able to

• Identify key challenges faced by health educators and families to promote optimal nutrition and well-being
• Assess extent to which these challenges affect attendance
• Develop a plan of action to help improve efficacy of an ambulatory obesity clinic to accommodate the needs of the community.

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.