Patient Perceptions of Weight Stigma Experiences in Healthcare: A Qualitative Analysis

Area of Science:

• Sociology of health
• Medical sociology
• Qualitative health research

Background:

• Weight stigma involves social devaluation due to excess body weight, negatively impacting health and leading to healthcare avoidance.
• Attribution Theory and Goffman's theory of spoiled identity offer frameworks for understanding weight stigma.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore diverse weight stigma experiences, including those from typically underrepresented identities.
• To analyze how factors like gender, age, and body size shape perceptions of weight stigma.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative descriptive study utilizing 73 narrative comments from a larger survey.
• Thematic analysis was employed to identify key themes in participant experiences.

Main Results:

• Five themes emerged: Working on weight, Not being overweight, Lack of help and empathy, Exposure and embarrassment, and Positive experiences.
• Overweight men often did not identify with having a weight problem and felt empowered by personal responsibility.
• Participants with larger body sizes reported more embarrassment in clinical settings; older participants had more positive experiences.

Conclusions:

• A tension exists between viewing weight as personal responsibility versus a multifactorial condition.
• Healthcare settings can perpetuate weight stigma through inadequate resources and weight-centric counseling.
• Lifestyle recommendations without personalized support can worsen weight stigma and health outcomes.