Center for Population Health and Aging, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2019 Jul 19;16(14):2578. doi: 10.3390/ijerph16142578.
This study aimed at examining the relationship between medical students' perceptions about health disparity and childhood obesity care. A cross-sectional survey ( = 163) was used to examine medical students' characteristics and perceptions related to health disparity and childhood obesity. Multiple mixed effects regression models with Tukey's tests were used to examine participants' perceived importance of different roles (e.g., parents) and topics to discuss with child patients and their parents. Separate models were used to examine whether health disparity perception was associated with participants' perceived importance of different roles and topics to discuss with child patients and their parents. Despite acknowledging that low-income families might lack resources to change health behaviors, many medical students still reported patients and parents being primarily responsible for childhood obesity condition. Participants perceived that the most important topic to discuss was patient's behaviors, followed by access to safe environments and school-based interventions. Participants' perception about health disparity was significantly associated with their perceived importance of different roles and topics to discuss with parents. The current study implies disconnection in linking health disparity with childhood obesity among medical students and confirms the importance of sensitizing medical students about the socio-environmental determinants of childhood obesity.
本研究旨在探讨医学生对健康差异和儿童肥胖护理的看法之间的关系。采用横断面调查（n=163）来考察医学生的特征和与健康差异及儿童肥胖相关的看法。采用带有 Tukey 检验的多混合效应回归模型来检验参与者对不同角色（如父母）和与患儿及其家长讨论的主题的重要性的看法。分别使用模型来检验健康差异认知是否与参与者对与患儿及其家长讨论的不同角色和主题的重要性认知相关。尽管许多医学生承认低收入家庭可能缺乏改变健康行为的资源，但他们仍报告说，患者和家长主要对儿童肥胖状况负责。参与者认为最重要的讨论主题是患者的行为，其次是获得安全环境和基于学校的干预措施。参与者对健康差异的认知与他们对与家长讨论的不同角色和主题的重要性认知显著相关。本研究表明医学生在将健康差异与儿童肥胖联系起来方面存在脱节，并证实了使医学生了解儿童肥胖的社会环境决定因素的重要性。
