Peer-reviewed article
Australian General Practitioners' Perspectives on Childhood Obesity Management.
Lee S, Kaur J, Bhurawala H, Leong G, Bhurawala H ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001This study surveyed 199 Australian general practitioners about their approaches to managing childhood obesity, which affects 26.1% of Australian children aged 2-17 years. GPs identified major barriers including difficulty engaging families, limited referral pathways for specialist care, and poor awareness of available resources. The researchers recommend improving access to information about existing services and strengthening multidisciplinary care pathways to help GPs deliver better obesity management.
Key points
- 26.1% of Australian children aged 2-17 years are overweight or obese
- 92% of survey respondents were GP Fellows, mostly from New South Wales and Victoria
- Key barriers identified: difficulty engaging families, limited referral pathways, inadequate public health interventions, and underutilisation of national resources
- GPs reported limited awareness of available resources for childhood obesity management
- Recommendations include improving dissemination of existing services and strengthening multidisciplinary care pathways
Limitations
This is a survey of GPs' perceptions rather than an evaluation of actual outcomes or interventions. The study does not examine whether implementing the recommended changes would actually improve childhood obesity rates or health outcomes for children.
Abstract
Aim Childhood obesity is a public health challenge, with 26.1% of Australian children aged between 2 and 17 years classified as overweight or obese in 2022. General practitioners (GPs) are the most frequently accessed healthcare providers for children. This project aims to provide a contemporary insight into current childhood obesity management practices among Australian GPs, including perceived barriers and enablers. Method A 20-question survey was developed by a multidisciplinary team including a paediatric endocrinologist, GP registrar, paediatric registrar and medical student. The HealthMap database distributed the survey to registered Australian GPs using a Quality Audit Reporting System. Free-text responses were thematically analysed using Braun and Clarke's qualitative descriptive methodology. Ethics approval was granted by the Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District Human Research Ethics Committee. Results There were 199 responses, of which 92% (n = 183) were GP Fellows. Most respondents were from New South Wales (34.7%, n = 69) and Victoria (27.6%, n = 55). A majority (60.3%, n = 120) practised in major cities, with 18.1% (n = 36) based in outer regional areas. Thematic analysis identified key barriers to obesity management: difficulty engaging families, limited referral pathways for multidisciplinary care, inadequate public health interventions and underutilisation of national resources. Conclusion Participating Australian GPs identified significant challenges in managing childhood obesity, particularly limited awareness of available resources and referral pathways. Improving the dissemination of existing services, strengthening clinical support and enhancing multidisciplinary care pathways may help support GPs in delivering effective, obesity-targeted care.