HEDIS^® definition

Weight assessment and counseling for nutrition and physical activity for children/adolescents: The percentage of members ages 3-17 who had an outpatient visit with a primary care physician or OB/GYN and who had evidence of the following during the measurement year:

• Body Mass Index (BMI) percentile documentation
• Counseling for nutrition
• Counseling for physical activity

Why this measure is important

One of the most important developments in pediatrics in the past two decades has been the emergence of a new chronic disease: obesity in childhood and adolescence. The rapidly increasing prevalence of obesity among children is one of the most challenging dilemmas currently facing pediatricians. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that overweight children and adolescents are more likely to become obese adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80 percent of children who were overweight at 10-15 years of age were obese adults at age 25. Another study found that 25 percent of obese adults were overweight as children and that if overweight begins before age 8, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.
? NCQA, HEDIS 2015 V1

Body mass index-for-age percentiles

The chart above, which was developed by the CDC, shows an example for a 10-year-old boy. BMI Percentile is the percentile ranking based on the CDC?s BMI-for-age growth charts, which indicate the relative position of the patients BMI number among others of the same gender and age.