Healthcare professionals' attitudes towards social prescribing in specialist children's weight management services.

Abstract

Background: Addressing increasing rates of childhood obesity is a global priority. High numbers of children and young people are living with obesity and experience significant physical and mental health impacts. Social prescribing research has shown it can help improve young people's physical and mental health, meaning it may be a helpful way to provide additional, personalised support to young people who are living with obesity, and to help to address the health inequalities experienced by this group. This study aimed to provide an overview of the current understanding and use of social prescribing from healthcare professionals working in specialist weight management services in England, and to identify perceived benefits and barriers to future implementation of social prescribing in these services.

Methods: A national survey was distributed online between April and July 2023 to healthcare professionals working within specialist weight management clinics across England to gather information regarding their current use and understanding of social prescribing.

Results: Thirty-eight completed surveys were analysed, with good representation from services across England. Staff felt they had an understanding of what social prescribing is and were willing to use it. Anticipated benefits included improvements to wellbeing and providing opportunities for physical activity and family support. Reported barriers included limited capacity from staff and a need for more training around how to identify appropriate community-based services to link with.

Conclusion: Healthcare professionals working in children's weight management services felt social prescribing could be beneficial for the families they worked with. However, to support implementation in their services, there is a need for further resource, such as staff time and training, to help develop relationships between clinical services and community-based services.