RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Fitwits MD™: An Office-Based Tool and Games for Conversations about Obesity with 9- to 12-Year-Old Children
JF The Journal of the American Board of Family
                Medicine
JO J Am Board Fam Med
FD American Board of Family Medicine
SP 768
OP 771
DO 10.3122/jabfm.2011.06.100278
VO 24
IS 6
A1 Ann L. McGaffey
A1 Diane J. Abatemarco
A1 Ilene Katz Jewell
A1 Susan K. Fidler
A1 Kristin Hughes
YR 2011
UL http://www.jabfm.org/content/24/6/768.abstract
AB Background: Physician feelings of ineffectiveness and family-related barriers hamper childhood obesity discussions. Physicians desire appealing, time-efficient tools to frame and sensitively address obesity, body mass index, physical activity, nutrition, and portion size. Our university design-led coalition codeveloped tools and games for this purpose. Methods: In this feasibility study, we evaluated physician-level counseling of 9- to 12-year-old children and their parents/caretakers using Fitwits MD (Carnegie Mellon University School of Design, Pittsburgh, PA), a brief, structured intervention with flashcards and take-home games. Residency-based physicians in three low- to mid-level socioeconomic urban offices provided self-report data over 8 months through surveys, comment cards, and interviews. Results: We recruited 33 physicians and 93 preadolescents and families. Child-centered key messages resulted in 7-minute conversations, on average. For those physicians who used Fitwits MD, 96% felt improved comfort and competence and 78% noted barrier reduction. Conclusions: Fitwits MD improved residency-based physician self-efficacy and emphasized important health education topics regarding office-based childhood obesity discussions with preadolescents and parents/caretakers.