Parent and Pediatrician Perspectives on Physical Activity Promotion in Pediatric Primary Care: A Preliminary Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

Purpose

To elicit preliminary pediatrician and parent perspectives on physical activity (PA) counseling and identify opportunities for improvement.

Design

Mixed methods, including a cross-sectional survey and semi-structured interviews.

Setting and Participants

Primary care pediatricians (N = 73; 40% response rate) within a single large healthcare system and parents of students (N = 20) participating in a local school-based PA program in eastern Massachusetts.

Methods

Electronic survey of pediatricians assessing opinions of American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) PA guidelines and potential PA promotion tools; semi-structured qualitative interviews with parents assessing overall discussion, education, and recommendations relating to PA.

Analysis

We report descriptive statistics for survey items and bivariate analyses comparing responses by physician characteristics. We performed thematic analysis of qualitative interviews and present results through an implementation science framework.

Results

In this preliminary study, pediatricians reported adoption, appropriateness, and lower perceived effectiveness of PA counseling. School-based programs and educational materials were most often chosen as PA promotion tools. Responses varied by pediatrician characteristics. While parents reported satisfaction, opportunities for improvement included connections with community resources and continued conversations with the child about PA.

Conclusions

Pediatricians and parents highlighted gaps in PA counseling in primary care. While results are preliminary given small sample size, this study provides actionable targets to support PA promotion as a preventive health priority in this setting.