By using 2005?007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey data, outpatient preventive visits made by obese (body mass index ?5 % ) 2- to 18-year-old patients were examined for?frequencies of obesity diagnosis, diet, exercise, or weight reduction counseling, and glucose or cholesterol testing. Multivariable logistic regression was used to examine whether patient-level (gender, age, race/ethnicity, insurance type) and provider/practice-level (geographic region, provider specialty, and practice setting) factors were associated with physician obesity diagnosis.
Physicians documented an obesity diagnosis in 18 % ?(95 % confidence interval, 13?3) of visits made by 2- to 18-year-old patients with a body mass index ?5 % . Documentation of an obesity diagnosis was more likely for non-white patients (odds ratio 2.87; 95 % confidence interval, 1.3?.3). Physicians were more likely to provide obesity-related counseling (51 % of visits) than to conduct laboratory testing (10 % of visits) for obese pediatric patients.
Rates of documented obesity diagnosis, obesity-related counseling, and laboratory testing for comorbid conditions among obese pediatric patients seen in US outpatient preventive visits are suboptimal. Efforts should target enhanced obesity diagnosis as a first step toward improving pediatric obesity management.