Knowledge of energy balance guidelines and associated clinical care practices: the U.S. National Survey of Energy Balance Related Care among Primary Care Physicians

Prev Med. 2012 Jul;55(1):28-33. doi: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2012.05.005. Epub 2012 May 16.

Abstract

Objective: To assess primary care physicians' (PCPs) knowledge of energy balance related guidelines and the association with sociodemographic characteristics and clinical care practices.

Method: As part of the 2008 U.S. nationally representative National Survey of Energy Balance Related Care among Primary Care Physicians (EB-PCP), 1776 PCPs from four specialties who treated adults (n=1060) or children and adolescents (n=716) completed surveys on sociodemographic information, knowledge of energy balance guidelines, and clinical care practices.

Results: EB-PCP response rate was 64.5%. For PCPs treating children, knowledge of guidelines for healthy BMI percentile, physical activity, and fruit and vegetables intake was 36.5%, 27.0%, and 62.9%, respectively. For PCPs treating adults, knowledge of guidelines for overweight, obesity, physical activity, and fruit and vegetables intake was 81.4%, 81.3%, 70.9%, and 63.5%, respectively. Generally, younger, female physicians were more likely to exhibit correct knowledge. Knowledge of weight-related guidelines was associated with assessment of body mass index (BMI) and use of BMI-for-age growth charts.

Conclusion: Knowledge of energy balance guidelines among PCPs treating children is low, among PCPs treating adults it appeared high for overweight and obesity-related clinical guidelines and moderate for physical activity and diet, and was mostly unrelated to clinical practices among all PCPs.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Body Mass Index
  • Child
  • Diet / psychology
  • Diet / standards
  • Energy Intake*
  • Exercise / psychology
  • Female
  • Health Care Surveys
  • Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice*
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care*
  • Physicians, Family / education
  • Physicians, Family / psychology*
  • Physicians, Family / statistics & numerical data
  • Practice Guidelines as Topic*
  • Practice Patterns, Physicians' / statistics & numerical data*
  • Primary Health Care / standards*
  • Sex Distribution
  • Socioeconomic Factors
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • United States