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PEDIATRICS Vol. 109 No. 5 May 2002, pp. e83

ELECTRONIC ARTICLE

Pediatrician Counseling About Preventive Health Topics: Results From the Physicians’ Practices Survey, 1998–1999

Deborah A. Galuska, MPH, PhD^*, Janet E. Fulton, PhD^*, Kenneth E. Powell, MD^*,, Charlene R. Burgeson, MA, Michael Pratt, MD^*, Arthur Elster, MD^|| and Bernard A. Griesemer, MD^¶

^* Division of Nutrition and Physical Activity, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
Georgia Department of Public Health, Atlanta, Georgia
Division of Adolescent and School Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
^|| American Medical Association, Chicago, Illinois
^¶ Health Tracks Center, Springfield, Missouri

--> Objective. Government agencies and national organizations recommend that physicians counsel their child and adolescent patients about preventive health topics. Using data from a national survey, we describe the counseling patterns of pediatricians in regard to 9 recommended preventive health topics.

Methodology. Between October 1998 and April 1999, information was collected from 907 of 1760 primary care pediatricians randomly selected from a nationally representative sample. Through either a telephone interview or a mail survey, pediatricians were asked how frequently in the past month they counseled about 9 preventive health topics during the well-care visits or routine check-ups of their patients. Pediatricians answered questions regarding their patients aged 2 to 5, 6 to 12, and 13 to 18 years.

Results. Over 80% of the pediatricians counseled about 1 or more recommended preventive health topics during the well-care visits or routine check-ups of their patients. As compared with pediatricians who did not counsel about any topic, pediatricians who counseled were significantly more likely to be female and spend longer amounts of time with their patients during these visits. The frequency with which specific preventive health topics were discussed varied with the topic and the age of the patient.

Conclusion. Most pediatricians routinely counsel about some, but not all, recommended preventive health topics. An understanding of why pediatricians selectively counsel about specific topics is needed.

Key Words: pediatrician • counseling • preventive health services • physician’s practice patterns

Abbreviations: AMA, American Medical Association • HMO, health maintenance organization

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Received for publication Apr 6, 2001; Accepted Jan 31, 2002.

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