The Effect of an Education Module to Reduce Weight Bias Among Healthcare Professionals in a Private Hospital Setting

NCT04741113 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: 0008-20-ASMC
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 506
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Although scientific bodies have recognized obesity as a disease, obese people are often stigmatized, facing discrimination, and accusations that they are responsible to their condition due to their lack of willpower by healthcare professionals. However, experimental research to reduce weight bias among healthcare professionals is lacking, and published studies to date are methodologically flawed, including lack of randomization, lack of control group and small sample size. The study is designed to evaluate the effect of a comprehensive online education module on knowledge about obesity and weight bias in a convenience sample in a private hospital setting. This is an interventional study conducted among all Assuta Medical Centers healthcare employees including physicians, bariatric surgeons, nurses, dietitians, social workers, physiotherapists, pharmacists, imaging department technicians, laboratory workers, patient services assistants and medical secretariats. Participants who will confirm their consent to participate in the study, will be randomized into two arms: intervention vs. control (with no intervention). The study intervention will include an online 15-minute educational module which will be based on relevant literature and expert opinion and will include four sections: a) Knowledge about obesity; b) Weight bias definition and impact; c) Strategies to reduce weight bias; d) A short quiz. At baseline, one week and one-month post intervention, both groups will respond to an anonymous on-line survey on knowledge about obesity and weight stigma. Moreover, data on demographic parameters of study participants will be collected.

Conditions

Obese, Stigma

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Weight stigma

  Questionnaires on weight stigma

  Change from Baseline at 1 month post intervantion

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Knowledge about obesity

  Change from Baseline at 1 month post intervantion

Study Arms (2)

Intervention group -educational module

EXPERIMENTAL

The study intervention will include an online 15-minute educational module with four sections: a) Knowledge about obesity; b) Weight bias definition and impact; c) Strategies to reduce weight bias; d) A short quiz. The module will be based on relevant literature and expert opinion. The module will be sent to participants via secured link.

Other: An online 15-minute educational module

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

No intervention

Interventions

An online 15-minute educational module OTHER

An online 15-minute educational module with four sections: a) Knowledge about obesity; b) Weight bias definition and impact; c) Strategies to reduce weight bias; d) A short quiz. The module will be based on relevant literature and expert opinion

Intervention group -educational module

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• All Assuta Medical Centers healthcare employees will be recruited to the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Assuta Medical Center: lead

Study Sites (1)

Assuta Medical Center

Tel Aviv, Israel

Location

Related Publications (1)

• Sherf-Dagan S, Kessler Y, Mardy-Tilbor L, Raziel A, Sakran N, Boaz M, Kaufman-Shriqui V. The Effect of an Education Module to Reduce Weight Bias among Medical Centers Employees: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Obes Facts. 2022;15(3):384-394. doi: 10.1159/000521856. Epub 2022 Jan 21.

  PMID: 35066508 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Obesity; Social Stigma

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Overweight; Overnutrition; Nutrition Disorders; Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases; Body Weight; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; Social Behavior; Behavior

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Dr. Shiri Sherf-Dagan, Dietitian and Epidemiologist

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 11, 2021
• First Posted: February 5, 2021
• Study Start: January 6, 2021
• Primary Completion: June 1, 2021
• Study Completion: June 1, 2021
• Last Updated: June 7, 2021

Record last verified: 2021-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

IL (1)