A Virtual Childhood Obesity Collaborative: Satisfaction With Online Continuing Education

• A virtual childhood obesity collaborative was feasible and acceptable for continuing education.
• High levels of satisfaction were reported with the virtual collaborative training.
• Many participants reported intent to change practice after completing the training.
• Some participants required technical assistance in accessing the online training.
• Some clinics lacked technology support for Web-based learning.

IntroductionThis descriptive study evaluated school-based health center (SBHC) providers' satisfaction with Web-based continuing education as part of a virtual childhood obesity intervention.MethodThirty-six participants from 24 SBHCs in six states participated in the training modules. Modules were divided into four learning sessions, with a total of 17 training modules. Participants completed satisfaction surveys after each module, as well as an overall survey at the end of the training. Questions were rated on a 4-point Likert scale (4 = strongly agree, 3 = agree, 2 = disagree, 1 = strongly disagree).ResultsParticipation in the first two learning sessions was higher than the last two. Provider satisfaction of training modules by question type and content area was quite high (μ = 3.66-3.33). Overall satisfaction means ranged from 3.76 to 3.24. Many providers also reported plans to make changes in their practice after completing the training.DiscussionThis study demonstrated that a virtual childhood obesity collaborative is an acceptable delivery method for continuing education.