Physician perception of pediatric obesity screening in an urban emergency department setting

Objective
To inquire pediatric professionals about opinions on obesity screening in the emergency department (ED), assess their standard of care for obese patients, and identify differences between screening agreement and physicians’ demographic and professional characteristics.

Material and methods
ED faculty at an urban children’s hospital were surveyed. Non-parametric testing was utilized to determine statistical significance.

Results
The physician response rate was 74.7% (62/83). The participants were mostly female (61.3%), non-Hispanic (88.7%), Caucasian (61.3%), with a median age of 37.0 years. Most physicians reported assessing weight status (77.4%), with medical record documentation 22.4% of the time. Approximately half (40.3%) inquired about familial obesity-related conditions. Pediatricians were split on obesity screening in the ED, with 47.5% agreeing and 42.6% unsure. No significant differences across screening agreement and demographic/professional characteristics were found.

Conclusions
ED providers are currently assessing the patient’s weight status and are open to the idea of screening for obesity. Tailoring an obesity intervention in the ED to meet physician concerns may increase participation and sustainability along with providing a management option for obese patients and their families.