FAMILY PHYSICIANS‘ AND PEDIATRICIANS’ PERSPECTIVE ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY

Introduction:The childhood obesity is identified as an increasing danger in Turkey and all around the world. Physicians' opinions and attitudes have an important effect on the fight against the childhood obesity. Aim: is to evaluate the opinion and attitudes of the pediatricians and the family physicians working in public hospitals, about CO. Method: This survey was carried out with a 24 questions questionnaire. Statistical analysis was conducted using chi-square and t tests for independent samples. Findings: 68%(n=93) of participants are female, mean age is 30.8±5.6, mean experience in the profession is 6,5±5,4. 37% are family physicians, 63% are pediatricians. Only 45%(n=61) stated that they feel prepared for the management, 13.3% implied that it could be difficult if patients come from different cultures, 64.7% (n=90) complaint about time limits for diagnosis and treatment, 79%(n=19) of physicians who feel unprepared themselves are willing to learn more about the issue, 69% of participants reported ‘the lack of motivation’ as a barrier to the treatment of patients. Female physicians are less prone to dispatch the overweight or obese children and they strive to give a continuous counseling and treatment to the patients (%75,3 versus %53,7 p=0,029) . Pediatricians think that the childhood obesity is managed more easily than adulthood obesity (40% versus 22%, p=0.05) and they feel more prepared (54% versus 20%, p=0.02), family physicians think that they have more time to provide information. Conclusion: Although physicians evaluate that childhood obesity as a very important disease, they do not feel themselves qualified at diagnosis / treatment and they need more knowledge.