Shiri Sherf-Dagan1,2, Yafit Kessler1,3, Limor Mardy-Tilbor2, Asnat Raziel3, Nasser Sakran3,4,5, Mona Boaz1, Vered Kaufman-Shriqui1. 1. Department of Nutrition Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Ariel University, Ariel, Israel. 2. Department of Nutrition, Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. 3. Assia Medical Group, Assuta Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel. 4. Department of Surgery, Holy Family Hospital, Nazareth, Israel. 5. The Azrieli Faculty of Medicine Safed, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Weight bias, stigma, and discrimination are common among healthcare professionals. We aimed to evaluate whether an online education module affects weight bias and knowledge about obesity in a private medical center setting. METHODS: An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted among all employees of a chain of private medical centers in Israel (n = 3,290). Employees who confirmed their consent to participate in the study were randomized into intervention or control (i.e., "no intervention") arms. The study intervention was an online 15-min educational module that included obesity, weight bias, stigma, and discrimination information. Questionnaires on Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA), fat-phobia scale (F-scale), and beliefs about the causes of obesity were answered at baseline (i.e., right before the intervention), 7 days, and 30 days post-intervention. RESULTS: A total of 506, 230, and 145 employees responded to the baseline, 7-day, and 30-day post-intervention questionnaires, respectively. Mean participant age was 43.3 ± 11.6 years, 84.6% were women, and 67.4% held an academic degree. Mean F-scale scores and percentage of participants with above-average fat-phobic attitudes (≥3.6) significantly decreased only within the intervention group over time (p ≤ 0.042). However, no significant differences between groups over time were observed for AFA scores or factors beliefs to cause obesity. CONCLUSIONS: A single exposure to an online education module on weight bias and knowledge about obesity may confer only a modest short-term improvement in medical center employees' fat-phobic attitudes toward people with obesity. Future studies should examine if reexposure to such intervention could impact weight bias, stigma, and discrimination among medical center staff in the long-term.
INTRODUCTION: Weight bias, stigma, and discrimination are common among healthcare professionals. We aimed to evaluate whether an online education module affects weight bias and knowledge about obesity in a private medical center setting. METHODS: An open-label randomized controlled trial was conducted among all employees of a chain of private medical centers in Israel (n = 3,290). Employees who confirmed their consent to participate in the study were randomized into intervention or control (i.e., "no intervention") arms. The study intervention was an online 15-min educational module that included obesity, weight bias, stigma, and discrimination information. Questionnaires on Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA), fat-phobia scale (F-scale), and beliefs about the causes of obesity were answered at baseline (i.e., right before the intervention), 7 days, and 30 days post-intervention. RESULTS: A total of 506, 230, and 145 employees responded to the baseline, 7-day, and 30-day post-intervention questionnaires, respectively. Mean participant age was 43.3 ± 11.6 years, 84.6% were women, and 67.4% held an academic degree. Mean F-scale scores and percentage of participants with above-average fat-phobic attitudes (≥3.6) significantly decreased only within the intervention group over time (p ≤ 0.042). However, no significant differences between groups over time were observed for AFA scores or factors beliefs to cause obesity. CONCLUSIONS: A single exposure to an online education module on weight bias and knowledge about obesity may confer only a modest short-term improvement in medical center employees' fat-phobic attitudes toward people with obesity. Future studies should examine if reexposure to such intervention could impact weight bias, stigma, and discrimination among medical center staff in the long-term.
Authors: Sean Wharton; David C W Lau; Michael Vallis; Arya M Sharma; Laurent Biertho; Denise Campbell-Scherer; Kristi Adamo; Angela Alberga; Rhonda Bell; Normand Boulé; Elaine Boyling; Jennifer Brown; Betty Calam; Carol Clarke; Lindsay Crowshoe; Dennis Divalentino; Mary Forhan; Yoni Freedhoff; Michel Gagner; Stephen Glazer; Cindy Grand; Michael Green; Margaret Hahn; Raed Hawa; Rita Henderson; Dennis Hong; Pam Hung; Ian Janssen; Kristen Jacklin; Carlene Johnson-Stoklossa; Amy Kemp; Sara Kirk; Jennifer Kuk; Marie-France Langlois; Scott Lear; Ashley McInnes; David Macklin; Leen Naji; Priya Manjoo; Marie-Philippe Morin; Kara Nerenberg; Ian Patton; Sue Pedersen; Leticia Pereira; Helena Piccinini-Vallis; Megha Poddar; Paul Poirier; Denis Prud'homme; Ximena Ramos Salas; Christian Rueda-Clausen; Shelly Russell-Mayhew; Judy Shiau; Diana Sherifali; John Sievenpiper; Sanjeev Sockalingam; Valerie Taylor; Ellen Toth; Laurie Twells; Richard Tytus; Shahebina Walji; Leah Walker; Sonja Wicklum Journal: CMAJ Date: 2020-08-04 Impact factor: 8.262