Nutritional counseling practices: how do North Carolina pediatric dentists weigh in?

UNLABELLED: It has been demonstrated that nutrition/healthy lifestyle counseling can help alleviate the childhood obesity crisis. Because pediatric dentists see children with regular frequency, they are uniquely positioned to help provide such counseling. PURPOSE: To document current nutrition/healthy lifestyle counseling practices of pediatric dentists in NC and examine factors associated with those practices. METHODS: A 65-item survey instrument was developed by an expert committee, pilot-tested and revised. The instrument contained questions in 6 domains: Academic Preparation, Knowledge, Confidence, Opinions, Practice Patterns and Barriers. It was sent to all clinically active pediatric dentists in NC. RESULTS: The response rate was 69% (70/102). Less than 25% provided nutrition counseling services. Academic preparation in residency training was statistically significant (P<.05) in determining those who practiced nutritional counseling. Logistic regression revealed that respondents with higher overall knowledge (OR=18.2), those comfortable discussing weight-related issues (OR=47.7), those in practice >10 years (OR=20.6), and females (OR=173) were more likely to provide nutrition/healthy lifestyle counseling. CONCLUSIONS: All respondents believed that childhood obesity is a major health concern and expressed a willingness to assist other health professionals in addressing this problem. These findings offer a rich source of data that can be used for educational initiatives and strategic planning.

The childhood obesity epidemic: a role for pediatric dentists?

Since the 1970s, the incidence of obesity has more than doubled for children 2 to 5 years of age and adolescents 12 to 19 years of age, and has more than tripled for children 6 to 11 years of age. The increasing numbers of overweight and obese children and youth has led federal policymakers to rank it as a critical health threat. The purpose of this review article is to raise awareness within the pediatric dental community about the childhood obesity epidemic. This article reviews the underlying causes of childhood obesity and discusses the links between both nutrition and obesity to caries. Because pediatric health professionals have daily contact with children and their caregivers, the role of pediatric dentists in preventing and managing obesity is proposed and discussed. In addition, methods are presented that pediatric dentists can use to elevate awareness and address childhood overweight and obesity issues from practice-based, community-based, and advocacy/policy-based perspectives. The authors share an array of ideas that can be incorporated by the pediatric dental team in their practice and beyond.