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Health-care environments can be enhanced through local understanding of the occupational stressors and productively engaging nurses in developing stress reduction initiatives. Nurse managers must facilitate such processes.

SummaryObjectivesThis study explored weight bias amongst Australian Accredited Practising Dietitians (APDs) and the effect of client weight status on dietetic practice.MethodsParticipants were 201 APDs, recruited using purposive sampling. A self‐administered questionnaire, the fat phobia scale (FPS), was completed to assess explicit weight bias. Participants were then randomized to receive either a female within the healthy weight range or female with obesity, accompanied by an identical case study for a condition unrelated to weight. Participants assessed the client based on data provided, provided recommendations and rated their perception of the client.ResultsMean FPS scores indicated mild fat phobia. However, dietetic practice was significantly affected by the client's weight status. Dietitians presented with the female with obesity assessed the client to have significantly lower health and were more likely to provide unsolicited weight management recommendations. In addition, dietitians rated the client as less receptive, less motivated and as having a lower ability to understand and sustain recommendations.ConclusionsThe contribution of this study is the exploration of how weight status may impact dietetic practice including assessment, recommendations and perceptions of the client. Dietitians may practice in a manner that represents or could be perceived as negative implicit weight bias, despite the explicit FPS assessing only mild fat phobia. Further research to understand the extent of the problem and how it impacts client outcomes and to test possible solutions is required.

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Objective: To compare chronic physical health disorder prevalence amongst Australian adults with and without mental illness. Method: Total n=1,716 participants (58% female) with a mean age of 52 ± 13 years (range: 18 to 89 years) completed an online survey of Australian adults in 2010. Outcome measures including prevalence of chronic physical conditions and self‐reported body mass index (BMI) in n=387 (23%) with a self‐reported mental illness diagnosis were compared to respondents without mental illness. Results: A significantly higher proportion of participants with mental illness were obese (BMI ≥ 30; 31 vs 24%, p=0.005). Adjusted odds ratios (OR) for coronary heart disease, diabetes, chronic bronchitis or emphysema, asthma, irritable bowel syndrome, and food allergies or intolerances (OR range: 1.54–3.19) demonstrated that chronic physical disorders were significantly more common in participants with a mental illness. Conclusion: Australian adults with a diagnosis for mental illness have a significantly increased likelihood of demonstrating chronic physical health disorders compared to persons without mental illness. Implications: Health professionals must be alert to the increased likelihood of comorbid chronic physical disorders in persons with a mental illness and should consider the adoption of holistic approaches when treating those with either a mental or physical illness.