Application of a Family-Based Program for Pediatric Obesity in the Primary Care Setting: A Doctor of Nursing Practice Project

Childhood obesity is nationwide health epidemic that can predispose children and adolescents to comorbid conditions existing through adulthood, and is a cause of increasing healthcare needs and costs. Primary care providers are at the forefront of patient care when it comes to identifying children and adolescents who are overweight or obese, assessing their current health behaviors, educating them on healthier habits, and introducing the necessary treatment modalities. Implementation of a family-based intervention among pediatric overweight or obese patients within the primary care setting is one way to address this issue, and can improve quality of life and health behaviors. Guided by the Iowa Model, which uses evidence-based practice to promote quality in healthcare, the purpose of this project was to review the relevant literature regarding family-based interventions and how they impact health behaviors and pediatric quality of life, and to implement an evidence-based program that illustrated its efficacy. This project utilized the evidence-based Let’s Go! 5-2-1-0 Childhood Obesity Prevention Program with children and adolescents who had a BMI > 85th percentile in a pediatric primary care setting. The goals of this project was to demonstrate the effectiveness of a family-based intervention for the treatment of pediatric overweight and obese patients within primary care, introduce a family-based healthy lifestyle program to a practice where treatment for this population was limited, and equip the providers with a program that can be sustainable for current and future patients.