Dietary and Physical Activity Counseling Trends in U.S. Children, 2002–2011

Introduction In 2007 and 2010, Expert Committee and U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines were released, respectively, urging U.S. practitioners to deliver preventive obesity counseling for children. This study determined the frequency and evaluated predictors of receiving counseling for diet and physical activity among a national sample of children from 2002 to 2011. Methods Children aged 6–17 years were used from the 2002–2011 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys and analyzed in 2016. Parental report of two questions assessed whether children received both dietary and exercise counseling from the provider. Children were grouped by weight category. Bivariate analyses compared the frequency of receiving counseling; logistic regression evaluated predictors of receiving counseling. Results The sample included 36,114 children;