Pre‐health students' sources of information for understanding of the etiology and prevention of childhood obesity

In order to prevent and treat childhood obesity (CO), students entering the health profession should be equipped with a comprehensive understanding of CO learned in a formal educational setting. To determine where students are obtaining their information about CO, researchers conducted qualitative individual interviews with graduating seniors who identified themselves as future healthcare providers in the areas of nutrition, medicine, social work, psychiatry and psychology. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed by researchers and coded for themes. Preliminary findings indicate pre‐health students report their knowledge originates from personal experience (e.g. an obese family member), observations (e.g. observing an obese child while shopping), media (e.g. radio and television) and college courses (e.g. Genetics and Introduction to Nutrition). This understanding will allow instructors to tailor course materials to improve student learning in the area of childhood obesity and better prepare students for interactions with obese children and their families.