Southern medical journal
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Southern medical journal · Nov 2022
Primary Care Clinicians' Perceived Role in Addressing Childhood Obesity in the Southern United States.
Primary care is an opportune setting to promote healthy behaviors for children and families. In 2007, an expert committee recommended that pediatric primary care clinicians assess nutrition and physical activity at wellness visits and offer recommendations; however, little is known about what pediatric primary care clinicians perceive their role as in childhood weight management. This qualitative study aimed to describe the perceived role of pediatric primary care clinicians in the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity in South Carolina, a state in the southern United States with high rates of childhood obesity. ⋯ Addressing childhood obesity within primary care is a critical component of obesity prevention and treatment in the southern United States. Effective, sustainable prevention and treatment within primary care will depend on the involvement of pediatric clinicians, thus emphasizing the importance of understanding how they perceive their role within this setting.