Childhood and adolescent obesity: Primary Health Care Physicians’ perspectives from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Background & Objectives: 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).

Conclusion: Efforts are needed to equip PHC physicians in managing overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents.