Barriers to Obesity Training For Pediatric Residents: A Qualitative Exploration Of Residency Director Perspectives

Abstract

Background: Obesity affects many children and has serious health consequences. Pediatricians are expected to help halt this epidemic, but little is known about either existing obesity curricula during residency or barriers to curriculum development. Purposes: The purpose of the study was to explore the following topics related to obesity training in pediatric residencies: current training offered, perceived barriers to training, recommendations for improving training, and educators' attitudes and beliefs regarding the role of the pediatrician in obesity prevention and management. Methods: We conducted in-depth interviews with a purposeful sample of pediatric residency program directors (n = 16), and analyzed them using grounded theory. Results: Limited training is currently offered in the area of obesity prevention and management in pediatric residencies. We developed a taxonomy of barriers to curriculum development and recommendations for improving training based on analysis of participant interviews. We also describe the varied findings regarding program directors' attitudes and beliefs about the pediatricians' role in obesity prevention and management. Conclusions: Pediatric residency program directors recognize obesity as a significant health issue, but little structured training is offered in this area. Numerous barriers limit curriculum development and implementation, but suggestions for curriculum development offered in these interviews may help in development of obesity curricula for pediatric residency programs.