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.