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Multidisciplinary Approach to Obesity Management: A Case Report
Published on: May 30, 2025
Development of an instrument to assess nurse practitioner attitudes and beliefs about obesity
Peggy Ward-Smith1, Jane A Peterson2
1School of Nursing and Health Studies, University of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas City, Missouri.
Background And Purpose:
Obesity has been identified as the number one health problem in the United States. Estimates are that almost 70% of adults are overweight or obese. The care received by these individuals may be influenced by their weight status. The purpose of this study was to describe the self-reported attitudes and beliefs of nurse practitioners (NPs) toward this population.
Methods:
Data were obtained from 358 NPs who were attending a national conference. Each participant completed the investigator-developed survey, which assessed attitudes and beliefs, and provided limited demographic information so that the study population could be described.
Conclusions:
Scores indicate that these NPs perceived overweight and obese persons to be (1) not as good as others, (2) not as successful as others, (3) not suitable for marriage, (4) untidy, and (5) not as healthy.
Implications For Practice:
While bias exists with respect to overweight and obese persons, awareness and knowledge of one's personal bias is the first step in preventing this perception to influence care. Educational forums should include a personal assessment and interventions aimed at minimizing the effect one's attitude and belief has on the delivery of respectful care.
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