A Longitudinal Effectiveness Study of a Child Obesity Electronic Health Record Tool.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

7-2022

Identifier

DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2022.04.210385

Abstract

Background: Primary-care providers, clinic staff, and nurses play an important role in reducing child obesity; yet time restraints and clinical demands compete with effective pediatric weight management and prevention.

Methods: To investigate the potential impact of an electronic health record (EHR) enabled tool to assist primary care teams in addressing child obesity, we conducted a controlled effectiveness study of FitTastic compared with usual care on the BMI pattern of 291 children (2 to 17 years) up to 4 years later.

Results: Per χ2 analysis, a greater proportion of children with baseline overweight/obesity in the EHR tool group than the control group had a favorable BMI pattern (32% vs 13%, P = .03). In logistic regression, FitTastic children were more likely than control children to have a favorable BMI pattern at follow-up (OR 3.8, 95% CI 1.1 to 13.2), adjusted for age, gender, race, and parental education.

Conclusion: Study findings suggest that EHR-enabled tools to assist primary care teams in managing child obesity may be useful for helping to address the weight in children with overweight/obesity, especially in younger children (2 to 5 years). Digital and EHR-enabled technologies may prove useful for partnering health care teams and families in the important tasks of setting positive, family-centered healthy lifestyle behavioral goals and managing child overweight and obesity.

Journal Title

J Am Board Fam Med

Volume

35

Issue

4

First Page

742

Last Page

750

Keywords

Body Mass Index; Control Groups; Counseling; Electronic Health Records; Exercise; Healthy Lifestyle; Logistic Models; Patient Care Team; Pediatric Obesity; Primary Health Care; Technology

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