Too big to be seen: Weight-based discrimination among nursing students

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Nursing
• Public Health

Background:

• Obesity sensitivity is crucial for effective patient care.
• Weight-based discrimination negatively impacts therapeutic relationships.
• Nursing students require targeted education to address biases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate an obesity sensitivity program's impact on nursing students' attitudes.
• To assess changes in discriminatory beliefs and actions toward obese clients.
• To promote awareness of bias in healthcare settings.

Main Methods:

• A quasi-experimental design involving 103 nursing students.
• Weekly obesity sensitivity education sessions focusing on weight-based discrimination.
• Pre- and post-intervention administration of the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons scale.

Main Results:

• Significant positive changes in nursing students' weight prejudices were observed post-intervention.
• Chi-square analysis indicated associations between education and reduced bias in specific clinical areas.
• Improvements noted in attitudes concerning obesity size, body odor, appearance, and lifestyle.

Conclusions:

• Obesity sensitivity education effectively reduces prejudice among nursing students.
• Addressing weight-based stigma is essential for therapeutic patient-provider interactions.
• Interventions can enhance nursing students' capacity to care for obese clients without bias.