Preventing and Treating Obesity: Pediatricians' Self-Efficacy, Barriers, Resources, and Advocacy
Section snippets
Participants
We surveyed members of the North Carolina Pediatric Society (NCPS) who were also Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and who provide pediatric primary care. Detailed information on methodology of the survey has been reported previously.21 Potential participants (n = 738) were mailed brief questionnaires in June 2002, using addresses provided by the NCPS. A reminder postcard was sent 1 month after the initial mailing, and a second questionnaire was sent to nonrespondents 6 weeks
Response Rate and Demographic Characteristics
Of 738 potential participants, 214 did not return surveys. Of the 524 physicians who did return surveys, 356 provided routine care for children and were therefore eligible, while 168 were ineligible based on the screening question. The unadjusted response rate was 62%. With 145 of the nonrespondents estimated to be eligible based on the percent of self-selected eligibility from the respondents, the Council of American Survey Research Organization–adjusted response rate was 71%.25 Eligible
DISCUSSION
Our study has 4 key findings. First, there is a difference between pediatricians' own perceived efficacy at treating obesity and their beliefs of how effective physicians can be in treating obesity. Pediatricians may believe others have greater abilities than they do in this area or that collectively pediatricians could be effective given optimal resources. Second, although environmental obstacles to obesity management are cited as the most frequently encountered obstacles, some practice-based
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
We thank Robin Hamre, William Dietz, Bob Schwartz, Mort Wasserman, Kathleen Thoma, and Tom Robinson for expert help with survey construction; Steven Shore on behalf of the North Carolina Medical Society; and Harvey Hamrick, without whom this study would not have occurred. We also thank Julie Colvin and Halle Amick for tireless administrative support and data entry; Bob Hamer for statistical help; David Kleckner for data support; Bob Konrad for expert assistance in survey response rate analysis;
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Presented in part at the Pediatric Academic Societies meetings, San Francisco, Calif, May 2004.