Oral Presentation Australian and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Conference 2023

Misaligned attitudes and perceptions among adolescents living with obesity, caregivers and healthcare professionals: ACTION Teens Australia survey study (97611)

Cathy Kwok 1 , Louise A. Baur 1 2 , Nicholas Bentley 3 , Jacqui Curran 4 , Natalie Lister 1 5 , Helen Truby 6
  1. Children’s Hospital Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
  2. Weight Management Services, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
  3. Novo Nordisk A/S, Sydney, Australia
  4. Perth Children’s Hospital, Nedlands, Australia
  5. Institute of Endocrinology and Diabetes, The Children’s Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia
  6. University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia

Introduction: The ACTION Teens study examined perceptions, attitudes, behaviours and potential barriers to effective obesity care among adolescents living with obesity (ALwO), caregivers of ALwO and healthcare professionals (HCPs).

Methods: ACTION Teens (NCT05013359) was an international, cross-sectional, online survey conducted in 10 countries in 2021. Data from 298 ALwO (aged 12–<18 years), 276 caregivers and 137 HCPs in Australia are reported.

Results: Among all ALwO surveyed (mean age: 14.8 years; 40% female), 83% believed their health was at least good and 52% were at least somewhat worried about their weight. Many ALwO defined successful weight loss as feeling better about oneself, having less depression/anxiety and having more interest in social activities (selected by 45%, 34% and 18%, respectively). Their top barrier to weight loss was lack of motivation (selected by 37%). Most ALwO (52%) reported making a weight-loss attempt within the past year, while 21% of caregivers reported an attempt by their child. Most ALwO indicated that they are responsible for initiating weight conversations with HCPs (62%), although fewer caregivers (51%) and HCPs (6%) indicated that ALwO are responsible. The most frequently reported barriers preventing ALwO from discussing weight with their HCP were discomfort initiating weight conversations and already knowing how to manage their weight (selected by 26% and 21%, respectively); 29% of ALwO reported no barriers. Overall, only 42% of ALwO had discussed weight with an HCP in the past year (n=126/298); among this subset, 73% reported at least one positive feeling after their most recent discussion and 66% agreed that they trusted their HCP’s weight-management advice.

Conclusion: Despite generally positive feelings regarding weight-management conversations with HCPs, many ALwO reported not having discussed weight with their HCP. Discordance between ALwO, caregivers and HCPs regarding the ALwO’s responsibility for initiating weight conversations suggests a need for improved communication strategies.