Accuracy and congruence of physician and adolescent patient weight-related discussions: Teen CHAT (Communicating health: Analyzing talk)

Abstract

Objective: We assessed the accuracy and congruence of recall of weight topics during clinical encounters between adolescent patients with overweight/obesity and physicians (randomized to Motivational Interviewing education vs. control arm).

Methods: We audio recorded 357 clinic encounters and coded topics of weight, physical activity (PA), breakfast, and fast food. We assessed recall accuracy/congruence. Generalized estimation equation modeling assessed associations between selected factors and recall accuracy.

Results: Accuracy for physicians was: weight (90%), PA (88%), breakfast (77%) and fast food (70%). Patient accuracy was: weight (94%), PA (94%), breakfast (73%) and fast food (61%). Physician/patient congruence was: weight (89%), PA (90%), breakfast (71%) and fast food (67%). Use of a reminder report indicating adolescent's weight behaviors in the physician control group resulted in increased adolescent (p = 0.02) and physician accuracy (p = 0.05) for fast food. Adolescents were more likely to recall discussions of fast food (odds ratio, 0.87; 95% CI, 0.77-0.97) as encounter time decreased; male adolescents were less likely to recall breakfast than females (odds ratio, 0.52; 95% CI, 0.28-0.95).

Conclusion: Adolescents and physicians recall weight and PA more often, perhaps indicating greater engagement in these topics.

Practice implications: Reminder reports might possibly enhance discussion and recall of diet related messages.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01040975.

Keywords: Adolescents; Audio-recording; Communication; Obesity; Overweight; Physicians.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflicts of interest

None

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