Presentation and Evaluation of an Evidence-based Algorithm for Overweight and Obese Adolescents in the Ambulatory Care Setting

Objective. The purpose of this project was to develop an evidence-based algorithm for the ambulatory care setting for the assessment and care of adolescents at high risk for, or diagnosed with overweight or obesity, and to present the algorithm to the attendees of the South Florida Council of Advanced Practice Nurses annual primary care conference. Background. Childhood obesity has more than tripled over the past 30 years, and is considered at epidemic proportions. Screening, diagnosis, and management of atrisk, overweight, or obese adolescents are often guided by individual provider preference rather than evidence-based guidelines. Nurse practitioners are often the first line of care in ambulatory clinics and need to systematically apply evidence-based care for screening and managing high risk for, overweight or obese adolescents. Methods. The sample for this project included the 51 attendees at the SFCAPN primary care conference. A pre- and post-test, single group design was used. A one hour PowerPoint presentation was conducted for the attendees. Results. There was a significant difference in the pre-test (M = 48.29, SD = 21.43) and post-test (M = 65.85, SD = 24.99) scores; t = -3.74, p = 0.001. A wide variance is noted although; with a 5-item test, wide variance is not unexpected. The paired t-test results indicate learning during the algorithm presentation, or sensitization to the questions. Conclusion. Establishing an algorithm from evidence-based guidelines will support nurse practitioners in the early detection and intervention for overweight and obese adolescents. Grants. There were no grants or funding support for this project.