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Obesity Prevention and Control: Provider-Oriented Interventions, Provider Education with a Client Intervention

Provider education with client education is a two-part intervention that involves:

  • Educating healthcare providers to increase knowledge, improve attitudes and change how they help clients address overweight and obesity, plus
  • Having healthcare providers actually use a method to help their clients lose weight

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of provider education with client-level interventions to change provider behavior or to reduce weight among adult patients because of a small effect size in studies with small sample sizes.

Results from the Systematic Reviews

Eight studies qualified for this review.

  • Provider-level outcomes: trained practioners significantly more likely to discuss weight and record weight, target weight and dietary targets (one study)
  • Client-level outcomes (12 months post intervention; 8 studies):
    • Studies with a concurrent comparison group reported a median weight loss of 1.15 kg
    • Studies using a before-after study design reported a median weight loss of 5.0 kg

Economic efficiency is not reviewed for interventions for which there is insufficient evidence to determine effectiveness.

These results were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to obesity prevention and control.

Publications

The findings and results of this systematic review have not been published. Read other Community Guide publications about Obesity Prevention and Control in our library. You may also subscribe to be notified as new materials on this topic become available.



Disclaimer

The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.

Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Preventive Services. Obesity prevention and control: provider-oriented interventions, provider education with a client intervention. www.thecommunityguide.org/obesity/ProviderEducation_client.htm. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: February 2008