Is There a Role for Primary Care Physicians' Screening of Excessive Weight and Eating Concerns in Adolescence?

Chamay Weber, Catherine; Haller, Dagmar M.; Narring, Francoise

doi:10.1016/j.jpeds.2010.01.030

« Previous Next »The Journal of Pediatrics
Volume 157, Issue 1 , Pages 32-35, July 2010

Is There a Role for Primary Care Physicians' Screening of Excessive Weight and Eating Concerns in Adolescence?

Catherine Chamay Weber, MD
- Adolescent and Young Adult Program, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
Dagmar M. Haller, MD, PhD
- Adolescent and Young Adult Program, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland
- Division of Primary Care, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland
- Reprint requests: Dagmar M. Haller, MD, PhD, Primary Care Division, Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, University of Geneva, 4 av Gabrielle-Perret-Gentil, 1211 Geneve 14, Switzerland.
Francoise Narring, MD, MSc
- Adolescent and Young Adult Program, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Community Medicine and Primary Care, Geneva University Hospitals, Geneva, Switzerland

Received 16 July 2009; received in revised form 2 November 2009; accepted 20 January 2010. published online 22 March 2010.

Objectives

To determine the extent to which adolescents with excessive weight concerns and eating concerns are in contact with primary care physicians and could thus be identified in primary care.

Study design

A representative sample of 7548 (16 to 20 years old) students completed a self-administered questionnaire on health-related topics (2002 Swiss Multicenter Adolescent Health Survey). Adolescents with excessive weight and eating concerns were compared with control subjects for frequency of somatic complaints and primary care visits in the past year. Analyses were stratified by sex. Logistic regression was used to adjust for confounders.

Results

Excessive weight and eating concerns were frequent in adolescents, particularly in girls (girls, 13.9%; boys, 1.6%). Adolescents with these concerns reported more frequent somatic complaints compared with their peers. Nearly 80% of them were in contact with a primary care physician at least once a year.

Conclusion

Primary care physicians are in contact with adolescents who have excessive weight and eating concerns. Identification of these concerns should be encouraged for appropriate management.

EWEC, Excessive weight and eating concerns