Janet Lydecker, PhD, Associate Research Scientist in Psychiatry, and Carlos M. Grilo, PhD, Professor Psychiatry and of Psychology, have co-authored a paper that explores the missed diagnosis of pediatric obesity.
The researchers reviewed medical records of 23,879 children ages 9-18 who had their height and weight measured during well-child visits in the Yale hospital system. They compared whether the children’s height and weight was in the overweight range (for example, an 11-year-old girl who is 4 feet, 8 inches tall and weighs 100 pounds) or obesity range (for example, a 14-year-old boy who is 5 feet, 4 inches tall and weighs 160 pounds), and whether “overweight” or “obesity” was entered as a diagnosis on their chart.
The study revealed that 11 percent of visits were assigned an overweight or obesity diagnosis, yet nearly 38 percent warranted one. For children who were “extremely obese,” 54 percent did not receive an obesity diagnosis.
“Missing an obesity diagnosis at well-child visits is not trivial – diagnosis is associated with greater likelihood of diet/exercise counseling and blood pressure and cholesterol measurement,” the authors wrote. “It is possible that providers may discuss but not document obesity, yet recent evidence suggests obesity is underdiscussed as well as underdiagnosed.”
They said the findings highlight the need for programs to improve and expand training so healthcare providers are better prepared to treat obesity in children.
The study was published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.