FEASIBILITY OF EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMMES ON CHILDHOOD OBESITY PREVENTION AND TREATMENT

Key words: Childhood obesity, Therapy, Primary Care, Therapeutic Patient Education, Family Group Therapy

Objectives - In 2000 the Paediatric Department of Ferrara (Italy) started a Family Group Therapeutic Educational programme to treat childhood obesity. Following its positive results, a practical professional training in therapeutic education, addressed to healthcare personnel involved in the treatment of childhood obesity, was planned in 2008. The training is meant to promote the development of a shared therapeutic educational strategy for obesity, involving specialists, primary care physicians/paediatricians and families. The article presents the preliminary results of this training and discusses its acceptance and feasibility. Methods - The integrated professional training consists of an on-line course followed by a two-day practical training at the Paediatric Department of Ferrara University Hospital or, alternatively, by a two-day classroom group training. The feasibility assessment of the training project takes into account the following criteria: a multidimensional questionnaire (a preand post-test investigating knowledge, motivation, self-efficacy, methodology, communication, modelling etc.), an appreciation questionnaire, and the observed outcomes for the implementation of daily professional practice. Results and conclusions - Preliminary results prove its feasibility as well as a great interest and appreciation by participants. Moreover, the professional training has a low cost and could be even cheaper by making each seminar accessible to more than one participant.