Sara N Bleich1, Sachini Bandara2, Wendy L Bennett3, Lisa A Cooper4, Kimberly A Gudzune4. 1. Departments of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Electronic address: sbleich@jhsph.edu. 2. Departments of Health Policy and Management, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 3. Population, Family, Reproductive Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 4. Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Welch Center for Prevention, Epidemiology, and Clinical Research, Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions, Baltimore, Maryland.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Despite emphasis of recent guidelines on multidisciplinary teams for collaborative weight management, little is known about non-physician health professionals' perspectives on obesity, their weight management training, and self-efficacy for obesity care. PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in health professionals' perspectives on (1) the causes of obesity; (2) training in weight management; and (3) self-efficacy for providing obesity care. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional Internet-based survey of 500 U.S. health professionals from nutrition, nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy (collected from January 20 through February 5, 2014). Inferences were derived using logistic regression adjusting for age and education (analyzed in 2014). RESULTS: Nearly all non-physician health professionals, regardless of specialty, cited individual-level factors, such as overconsumption of food (97%), as important causes of obesity. Nutrition professionals were significantly more likely to report high-quality training in weight management (78%) than the other professionals (nursing, 53%; behavioral/mental health, 32%; exercise, 50%; pharmacy, 47%; p<0.05). Nutrition professionals were significantly more likely to report high confidence in helping obese patients achieve clinically significant weight loss (88%) than the other professionals (nursing, 61%; behavioral/mental health, 51%; exercise, 52%; pharmacy, 61%; p<0.05), and more likely to perceive success in helping patients with obesity achieve clinically significant weight loss (nutrition, 81%; nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy, all <50%; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy professionals may need additional training in weight management and obesity care to effectively participate in collaborative weight management models.
BACKGROUND: Despite emphasis of recent guidelines on multidisciplinary teams for collaborative weight management, little is known about non-physician health professionals' perspectives on obesity, their weight management training, and self-efficacy for obesity care. PURPOSE: To evaluate differences in health professionals' perspectives on (1) the causes of obesity; (2) training in weight management; and (3) self-efficacy for providing obesity care. METHODS: Data were obtained from a cross-sectional Internet-based survey of 500 U.S. health professionals from nutrition, nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy (collected from January 20 through February 5, 2014). Inferences were derived using logistic regression adjusting for age and education (analyzed in 2014). RESULTS: Nearly all non-physician health professionals, regardless of specialty, cited individual-level factors, such as overconsumption of food (97%), as important causes of obesity. Nutrition professionals were significantly more likely to report high-quality training in weight management (78%) than the other professionals (nursing, 53%; behavioral/mental health, 32%; exercise, 50%; pharmacy, 47%; p<0.05). Nutrition professionals were significantly more likely to report high confidence in helping obesepatients achieve clinically significant weight loss (88%) than the other professionals (nursing, 61%; behavioral/mental health, 51%; exercise, 52%; pharmacy, 61%; p<0.05), and more likely to perceive success in helping patients with obesity achieve clinically significant weight loss (nutrition, 81%; nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy, all <50%; p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Nursing, behavioral/mental health, exercise, and pharmacy professionals may need additional training in weight management and obesity care to effectively participate in collaborative weight management models.
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