Motivational Interviewing: An Effective Method of Behavioral Counseling for Healthy Lifestyles

The prevalence of overweight/obese youth who are underserved and minority far exceeds other sub-populations of children. These children have been reported to have higher rates of co-morbid health problems such as dyslipidemia, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes as adults. Obesity-related health care expenditures are estimated at $147 billion annually. To address these health disparities and costly chronic illnesses, it is essential to target children prior to the time they have established unhealthy lifestyles that contribute to lifelong struggles with weight. One of 7, low-income, preschool-aged children is obese; there were 14.6% obese, low-income children aged 2-4 years in 2008. More importantly, the prevalence of obesity dramatically increases as children get older.  Expert panel recommendations and research evidence regarding childhood obesity include the use of motivational interviewing (MI) to collaborate with families on behavior change. MI is a counseling skill where the patient describes their health goals and the provider elicits a plan for change that the patient thinks will work for them in the context of their family, environment, and culture.

This presentation is directed toward practitioner and researchers who desire to learn more about MI. In this method of counseling the role of the provider is to: 1) provide feedback about current health status, 2) collaborate with the patient to set goals, 3) identify the discrepancies between the goals and current behavior; 4) assess importance, readiness, and confidence in ability to change; 5) elicit from patient the pros and cons of change including barriers to change, and 6) help plan for change and provide tools to help achieve their plans for behavior change.  This presentation will include an overview of the evidence supporting the use of MI, outline the components of MI, outline the process of using MI, and provide videoclip demonstrations of MI.