Improving Weight Bias Awareness Among Providers in the Sexual and Reproductive Health care Setting

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Healthcare Education
• Health Equity

Background:

• Provider bias against higher-weight patients negatively impacts health outcomes and patient experience.
• Sexual and reproductive health settings are critical touchpoints for healthcare, making weight stigma reduction essential.
• Educating healthcare providers on weight bias is vital for promoting size inclusivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the impact of a virtual workshop on provider weight bias awareness and confidence in applying weight-neutral principles.
• To evaluate changes in implicit bias scores among healthcare providers after an educational intervention.
• To promote equitable care for patients of all sizes within sexual and reproductive health services.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project involving Planned Parenthood providers.
• A three-part virtual workshop utilizing the Health at Every Size framework.
• Pre-, post-, and 3-month follow-up surveys to measure changes in bias awareness and confidence.

Main Results:

• Significant improvements in provider awareness of weight bias were observed.
• Reductions in implicit bias scores were noted post-intervention.
• Increased provider confidence in delivering weight-neutral care was reported.

Conclusions:

• Provider education on weight bias can enhance the equity of care for higher-weight patients.
• Formal educational interventions, like workshops, can mitigate weight stigma in healthcare.
• Further research is needed on optimal education strategies and patient outcome impacts.