An update to the Greig Health Record: Executive summary.

The Greig Health Record is an evidence-based health promotion guide for clinicians caring for children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age. It provides a template for periodic health visits that is easy to use and adaptable for electronic medical records. On the record, the strength of recommendations is indicated in boldface for good, in italics for fair, and in regular typeface for recommendations based on consensus or inconclusive evidence. Checklist templates include sections for Weight, Height and BMI, Psychosocial history and Development, Nutrition, Education and Advice, Specific Concerns, Examination, Assessment, Immunization, and Medications. Included with the checklist tables are five pages of selected guidelines and resources. This update includes information from recent guidelines and research in preventive care for children and adolescents 6 to 17 years of age. Regular updates are planned. The complete Greig Health Record can be found online at the Canadian Paediatric Society's website: www.cps.ca.

Le relevé médical Greig est un guide de promotion de la santé fondé sur des données probantes destiné aux cliniciens qui s'occupent d'enfants et d'adolescents de six à 17 ans. Ce modèle pour les bilans de santé périodiques est facile à utiliser et adaptable aux dossiers médicaux électroniques. Sur le relevé, les recommandations sont indiquées en caractères gras lorsqu'elles sont de bonne qualité, en caractères italiques lorsqu'elles sont de qualité acceptable, et en caractères normaux lorsqu'elles sont consensuelles ou peu concluantes. Les listes de vérification comprennent des rubriques sur le poids, la taille et l'indice de masse corporelle, l'histoire psychosociale et le développement, la nutrition, l'éducation et les conseils, les problèmes particuliers, les examens, les évaluations, la vaccination et les médicaments. Elles s'accompagnent de cinq pages de lignes directrices et de ressources sélectionnées. La présente mise à jour contient de l'information tirée des lignes directrices et des recherches récentes sur les soins préventifs pour les enfants et les adolescents de six à 17 ans. Des mises à jour régulières sont prévues. Il est possible de consulter l'intégralité du relevé médical Greig, en anglais, dans le site Web de la Société canadienne de pédiatrie, à l'adresse www.cps.ca.

Paediatricians' awareness of, agreement with and use of the new Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for children and youth zero to 17 years of age.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the awareness of, agreement with and use of the new Canadian Physical Activity and Sedentary Behaviour Guidelines for children and youth zero to 17 years of age in a sample of Canadian paediatricians. METHODS: The findings are based on responses from 331 paediatricians across Canada who completed an online survey in February 2013. Frequencies were calculated for each question. RESULTS: Few paediatricians reported being very familiar with the physical activity (6% for the early years, and 9% for children and youth) or sedentary behaviour guidelines (5% for the early years, children and youth). When made aware of the guidelines, a large percentage strongly agreed or agreed with the physical activity (99% for the early years, and 96% for children and youth) and sedentary behaviour recommendations (96% for the early years, and 94% for children and youth). Of paediatricians who performed well-child visits, 16% and 27% reported almost always making physical activity and sedentary behaviour recommendations, respectively, to parents or caregivers of children in the early years, compared with 37% for both behaviours among children and youth. Thirty-nine per cent (for the early years) and 46% (for children and youth) of paediatricians reported it would be highly feasible to briefly explain the guidelines at a well-child visit. The most common barriers reported for recommending the guidelines were insufficient motivation or support from parents, caregivers or youth, and lack of time. CONCLUSION: To increase the use of these new evidence-informed guidelines, strategies are needed to increase paediatricians' awareness and reduce perceived barriers.

OBJECTIF: Examiner la sensibilisation des pédiatres aux nouvelles Directives canadiennes en matière d'activité physique et de comportement sédentaire chez les jeunes de zéro à 17 ans, leur acceptation et leur utilisation de ces directives dans un échantillon de pédiatres canadiens. MÉTHODOLOGIE: Les résultats se fondent sur les réponses de 331 pédiatres du Canada qui ont rempli un sondage virtuel en février 2013. La fréquence a été calculée à l'égard de chaque question. RÉSULTATS: Peu de pédiatres ont déclaré bien connaître les directives en matière d'activité physique (6 % pour les jeunes enfants et 9 % pour les enfants et les adolescents) ou de comportement sédentaire (5 % pour les jeunes enfants, les enfants et les adolescents). Lorsqu'ils étaient informés des lignes directrices, un fort pourcentage était fortement d'accord ou d'accord avec les recommandations en matière d'activité physique (99 % pour les jeunes enfants, et 96 % pour les enfants et les adolescents) et de comportement sédentaire (96 % pour les jeunes enfants, et 94 % pour les enfants et les adolescents). Chez les pédiatres qui effectuaient des bilans de santé, 16 % et 27 % affirmaient faire presque toujours des recommandations en matière d'activité physique et de comportement sédentaire, respectivement, aux parents ou aux personnes qui s'occupaient de jeunes enfants, par rapport à 37 % à l'égard des deux types de comportements chez les enfants et les adolescents. De plus, 39 % (pour la petite enfance) et 46 % (pour les enfants et les adolescents) des pédiatres affirmaient qu'il serait très faisable d'expliquer brièvement les directives lors des bilans de santé. Les principaux obstacles relevés pour recommander les directives étaient la motivation et le soutien insuffisants de la part des parents, des adolescents ou des personnes qui s'occupent des enfants, ainsi que le manque de temps. CONCLUSION: Pour accroître l'utilisation de ces nouvelles directives fondées sur des données probantes, il faut adopter des stratégies pour les faire mieux connaître des pédiatres et réduire les obstacles perçus.

Psychosocial aspects of child and adolescent obesity.

In addition to counselling families about regular physical activity and healthy nutrition, clinicians need to identify and help them to address the psychosocial factors that may be contributing to their child's or adolescent's obesity. Affected individuals may suffer from depression, low self-esteem, bullying, and weight bias, experiences that can make achieving desired health outcomes more difficult. Clinicians should try to identify these underlying stressors and ensure that appropriate counselling is implemented.

Healthy active living: Physical activity guidelines for children and adolescents.

The epidemic of childhood obesity is rising globally. Although the risk factors for obesity are multifactorial, many are related to lifestyle and may be amenable to intervention. These factors include sedentary time and non-exercise activity thermogenesis, as well as the frequency, intensity, amounts and types of physical activity. Front-line health care practitioners are ideally suited to monitor children, adolescents and their families' physical activity levels, to evaluate lifestyle choices and to offer appropriate counselling. This statement presents guidelines for reducing sedentary time and for increasing the level of physical activity in the paediatric population. Developmentally appropriate physical activity recommendations for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, children and adolescents are provided. Advocacy strategies for promoting healthy active living at the local, municipal, provincial/territorial and federal levels are included.

Boxing participation by children and adolescents: A joint statement with the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Thousands of boys and girls younger than 19 years of age participate in boxing in North America. Although boxing provides benefits for participants, including exercise, self-discipline and self-confidence, the sport of boxing encourages and rewards deliberate blows to the head and face. Participants in boxing are at risk of head, face and neck injuries, including chronic and even fatal neurological injuries. Concussions are one of the most common injuries occurring in boxing. Because of the risk of head and facial injuries, the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics vigorously oppose boxing as a sport for children and adolescents. These organizations recommend that physicians oppose boxing in youth and encourage patients to participate in alternative sports in which intentional head blows are not central to the sport.

Practising what we preach: A look at healthy active living policy and practice in Canadian paediatric hospitals.

BACKGROUND: In the past 30 years, the rate of obesity has risen considerably among Canadian children. Paediatric hospitals are in a unique position to model healthy environments to Canadian children. OBJECTIVE: To obtain an overview of healthy active living (HAL) policy and practice in Canadian paediatric hospitals. METHODS: Working in partnership with the local Canadian Paediatric Society HAL champions and the Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres liaisons, a nationwide survey was conducted in 2006/2007 to identify healthy eating, physical activity and smoking cessation practices in all 16 Canadian paediatric academic hospitals. RESULTS: Policies addressing healthy eating and/or physical activity promotion were present in 50% of hospitals with a greater focus on nutrition. Wellness committees were created in 50% of the hospitals, most of which were recently established. Healthy food options were available in cafeterias, although they were often more expensive. Fast food outlets were present in 75% of hospitals. Although inpatient meals were designed by dietitians, 50% offered less nutritious replacement kids meals (ie, meal substitutions) on request. Options for play available to inpatients and outpatients were primarily sedentary, with screen-based activities and crafts predominating over active play. Physical activity promotion for staff focused on reduced membership fees to fitness centres and classes. CONCLUSION: Canadian paediatric hospitals do not adequately promote HAL for patients and staff. The present study findings suggest further effort is required to create necessary healthy lifestyle modifications in these institutions through Canadian Paediatric Society/Canadian Association of Paediatric Health Centres-led policy development and implementation initiatives. A national-level policy framework is required to regulate interhospital variability in policies and practices.