Childhood obesity remains a critical public health issue in the United States, with recent estimates indicating a continuous rise in prevalence such that 1 in 5 children are affected by obesity and 1 in 3 by overweight. In 2023, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released its first clinical practice guidelines for the evaluation and treatment of children and adolescents with obesity. As one of the guideline’s co-authors, Dr. Sharifi will delve into the AAP guidelines, illuminating key recommendations and the barriers to translating these guidelines into practice. The discussion will explore the principles of implementation science to evaluate and overcome these barriers, focusing on systematic approaches to enhance the adoption of the guidelines.
Dr. Sharifi will present findings from her team’s multi-site trials, which investigate the implementation of evidence-based interventions for childhood obesity. This includes both intensive health behavior and lifestyle treatments endorsed by the CDC and the promotion of guideline adoption in pediatric primary care through the use of electronic health record-based clinical decision support tools. The presentation will highlight successful strategies from these trials, such as formative evaluations and user-centered designs that tailor interventions to diverse contexts. Additionally, the presentation will cover mixed methods evaluations with hybrid trial designs, examining both effectiveness and implementation outcomes such as reach and costs.
Through these efforts, the aim is to bridge the gap between guideline recommendations and their adoption into routine care delivery, thereby promoting equitable access to effective childhood obesity interventions.
Attendees are invited to gain insights into the latest US clinical guidelines for pediatric obesity, implementation research methods, practical solutions for primary care settings, and collaborative efforts to enhance the health and well-being of children through evidence-based obesity management.