Feasibility of an Obesity Prevention Intervention in Primary Care Settings: Perspectives of Primary Care Clinicians and Parents of 2-5 year old children on the Parents and Tots Together Program

Preventing childhood obesity is a public health priority, and primary care is an important setting for early intervention. In this thesis, the perspectives of primary care clinicians and parents of children 2-5 years were explored, on the implementation of an obesity prevention intervention within team-based primary care. Focus groups with interprofessional primary care clinicians (n = 40), and interviews with parents (n=26) were conducted and analyzed using directed content analysis. Clinicians identified several barriers to addressing obesity and related behaviours in this age group, including: a gap in well-child primary care between ages 18 months and 4-5 years, lack of time, and sensitivity of these topics. Both parents and clinicians felt that the trust and existing relationships with primary care clinicians were facilitators to program implementation. Despite barriers to addressing obesity and related behaviours within well-child care, both clinicians and parents expressed interest in obesity prevention interventions in the primary care setting.