Knowledge, Attitude, and Belief of Healthcare Professionals Toward Obesity Stigmatization

Obesity stigmatization, defined as the social devaluation and denigration of individuals because of their excess weight, represents a significant barrier to effective healthcare delivery. This study aimed to investigate healthcare professionals' knowledge about obesity-related health impacts, attitudes regarding weight bias (negative or discriminatory attitudes toward individuals with obesity), and beliefs about the causes and nature of obesity.

This cross-sectional study was conducted among healthcare professionals between Jan, 2024 and Feb, 2024 in The Department of General Medicine, Chengdu Second People's Hospital, using a self-designed questionnaire.

A total of 388 valid questionnaires [303 (78.09%) female and a mean age of 37.71 ± 8.46 years] were included. The mean scores for knowledge, attitude, and belief were 6.70 ± 1.46 (possible range: 0-10), 38.41 ± 5.09 (possible range: 8-48), and 63.53 ± 15.35 (possible range: 0-120), respectively. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that having body mass index ≥ 24.0 kg/m² (OR = 0.537, 95% CI: 0.331-0.873, P = 0.012) and nurse profession (OR = 0.546, 95% CI: 0.338-0.883, P = 0.014) were independently associated with knowledge. Knowledge (OR = 0.754, 95% CI: 0.600-0.949, P = 0.016), belief (OR = 0.915, 95% CI: 0.854-0.980, P = 0.011), and age (OR = 0.950, 95% CI: 0.906-0.995, P = 0.031) were independently associated with attitude. Moreover, structural equation modeling showed that knowledge had a significant direct effect on both belief (β = 0.845, P < 0.001) and attitude (β = -0.944, P < 0.001), as well as belief on attitude (β = -0.550, P < 0.001).

Healthcare professionals exhibited insufficient knowledge, negative attitude and belief toward obesity stigmatization. A pressing necessity arises for the implementation of targeted educational interventions and awareness programs within healthcare settings.