Weight Bias in Clinical Care: Assessment of An Interprofessional Session for Health Sciences Students

Abstract

Abstract Introduction: Weight bias is pervasive within our society and within the healthcare system. Individuals who live in larger bodies and who have experienced weight stigma often delay or avoid seeking care fearing a weight discriminatory experience. Given the detrimental effects that weight bias can have on an individuals’ physical and emotional health, it is of outmost importance that interventions to reduce weight bias are incorporated into the training of future health professionals. Efforts to reduce weight bias via education and training can be deemed successful after proper assessment and evaluation of the impact of these interventions is conducted. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of an educational session on weight stigma among health profession students. Methods: A retrospective pretest-posttest survey adapted from The Fat Attitudes Assessment Toolkit (FAAT), which includes the Fat Acceptance Scale, was used to assess the impact of the educational session. Questions from the FAAT targeting empathy and health were used in our adapted survey. These specific questions were chosen to assess whether the session effectively changed participants' ideas about health and empathy related to fatness. This survey was intended to evaluate the impact of this interprofessional education session by evaluating whether session objectives were met. Results: Four main themes arose from participant survey responses: 1) Actionable Items 2) Opportunities for Learning 3) Professional Role and 4) Weight Stigma. These themes point to the impact of the session on educating and raising awareness about weight bias within the health professions represented. Further, quantitative analysis suggests a varied level of difference between pre- and post-test scores. Most notable, the analyses suggest a change in the level of empathy and awareness as it relates to body weight and health, an understanding that body weight is not an appropriate indicator of health, and that regardless of profession (clinical vs public health/social work), the varied level of difference between pre- and post-test scores was consistent. Conclusion: The qualitative results presented here suggest a varied level of response shift when comparing pre- and post-test scores, indicating the significance and effectiveness of the session. Likewise, the thematic analysis of the results points toward the session's success at meeting the session's learning objectives. However, these results should be taken as a preliminary step highlighting the importance of education and training on the topic of weight stigma. Further efforts exploring the topic and the effectiveness of training and education on weight stigma can help contribute to the evidence needed to inform the public of the importance of these interventions.