Prevention, recognizing, and treating childhood obesity: A risk factor for developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND - This integrated service project report summarizes my involvement in the Utah Pediatric Partnership to Improve Healthcare Quality (UPIQ) learning collaborative and Central City Community Health Center. The project focus is to recognize, prevent, and treat childhood obesity. The project involves evaluating each child's body mass index (BMI) at each office visit and referring those children with a BMI 85 percent for health education that includes diet, nutrition, and lifestyle modifications appropriate for the age of the child. METHODS - Place a BMI calculator on the computer in all patient rooms to standardize the calculation. Evaluate pediatric patient medical records before and after the initiative. Collect and evaluate data on the number of pediatric patients referrals compared to the number of health education appointments completed. RESULTS - A BMI calculator available on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was placed on each computer in the patient rooms. A retrospective review of patient medical records found less than 20 percent had a BMI calculated and recorded during the 30 days prior to the program initiation. After initiation, the number of BMI calculated and reported greater than 85 percent. The overall results of the program are still being collected along with the total number of patient referrals and completed health education appointments. CONCLUSION - The program has been successful in helping primary care providers recognize pediatric patients who are overweight and obese and may have an increased risk of developing serious chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus or cardiovascular disease.