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YouTube videos help PCPs counsel on obesity, nutrition

WASHINGTON — Primary care providers agreed that an online video-based intervention was effective at assisting with motivational interviewing for adolescents struggling with obesity and nutritional issues, according to data presented at the 2015 AAP National Conference and Exhibition.

“We looked at using motivational interviewing in adolescents to improve their nutrition and physical activity,” researcher Meredith K. Sooy, MS, of the College of Medicine at the University of Vermont, told Infectious Diseases in Children. “Motivational interviewing can be really hard to learn, so we picked some specific skills for pediatricians to use. We thought a great way to disperse these skills to pediatricians all over the state of Vermont was to make YouTube videos of sample interviews.”

The researchers developed two sets of online videos: a set that demonstrated the use of selective motivational interviewing techniques to instill goal setting (intended for physician viewers) and a set that used adolescent volunteers to demonstrate healthy eating habits (available for physicians to recommend to their adolescent patient viewers). Videos were made available to 28 family medicine practices across Vermont. After 1 month, the researchers surveyed physicians to interpret their perceptions of the intervention’s feasibility and success.

Study results showed that 100% of surveyed physicians responded that the motivational interviewing training videos were very or somewhat useful for assisting with counseling adolescents on nutritional issues; 89% felt they were very or somewhat useful for physical activity-focused counseling. Likewise, 89% of physicians responded that the videos created for assisting adolescents with eating habits were very or somewhat useful at helping to instill healthy lunch choices. Only 50% of physicians, however, felt the videos assisted with forming healthy snacking habits.

The researchers said that physicians expressed a desire for more videos to assist with improving motivational interviewing skills. 

“YouTube is a really easily accessible platform, which allows you to easily disperse information to both providers and patients.” Sooy said. – by David Costill

Reference:
Sooy MK, et al. Abstract 30963. Presented at: AAP National Conference and Exhibition; Oct. 24-27, 2015; Washington, D.C.

Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.