Nurses' Attitudes toward Obese Persons and Certain Ethnic Groups

Maroney, Diane; Golub, Sharon

doi:10.1177/003151259207500201

Cited by 101 publications

(55 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In a recent survey of obese patients, nearly two‐thirds indicated that “most doctors don't understand how difficult it is to be overweight” (15). Negative attitudes about obese individuals have been documented among medical students, dietitians, physicians, and nurses (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21). In a study where medical students were given sample clinical case presentations, they described obese patients as less attractive, more depressed, and less compliant compared with normal weight patients (16).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In one survey, 24% of nurses reported that they are “repulsed” by obese persons (20). In another study, 35% to 48% of nurses said they felt uncomfortable caring for obese patients; 31% to 42% said they would prefer not to care for obese patients at all (21). Even when patients report satisfaction with medical personnel, equipment and facilities are often inadequate, contributing to negative experiences (22).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity

et al. 2003

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Purpose: To determine the level of anti‐fat bias in health professionals specializing in obesity and identify personal characteristics that correlate with both implicit and explicit bias. Research Methods and Procedures: The Implicit Associations Test (IAT) and a self‐report questionnaire assessing explicit attitudes, personal experiences with obesity, and demographic characteristics was administered to clinicians and researchers attending the opening session of an international obesity conference (N = 389). The IAT was used to assess overall implicit weight bias (associating “obese people” and “thin people” with “good” vs. “bad”) and three ranges of stereotypes: lazy‐motivated, smart‐stupid, and valuable‐worthless. The questionnaire assessed explicit bias on the same dimensions, along with personal and professional experiences with obesity. Results: Health professionals exhibited a significant pro‐thin, anti‐fat implicit bias on the IAT. In addition, the subjects significantly endorsed the implicit stereotypes of lazy, stupid, and worthless using the IAT. Level of bias was associated with several personal characteristics. Characteristics significantly predictive of lower levels of implicit anti‐fat bias include being male, older, having a positive emotional outlook on life, weighing more, having friends who are obese, and indicating an understanding of the experience of obesity. Discussion: Even professionals whose careers emphasize research or the clinical management of obesity show very strong weight bias, indicating pervasive and powerful stigma. Understanding the extent of anti‐fat bias and the personal characteristics associated with it will aid in developing intervention strategies to ameliorate these damaging attitudes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity

et al. 2003

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“…Negative attitudes about fat patients result in doctors choosing to spend less time with fat patients (Maroney and Golub, 1992; Foster et al, 2003; Hebl et al, 2003; Persky and Eccleston, 2011; Stone and Werner, 2012) and often resulting in fewer preventive and diagnostic tests for fat patients; doctors often report that these tests are more challenging with fat bodies (Adams et al, 1993; Amy et al, 2006; Ferrante et al, 2006, 2010). …”

Section: Anti-fat Attitudes Of Healthcare Providersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Huizinga et al (2009) found that fat patients were less respected by physicians than non-fat patients, and many doctors report that they prefer not to provide care for fat people (Maroney and Golub, 1992; Foster et al, 2003; Hebl et al, 2003; Persky and Eccleston, 2011; Stone and Werner, 2012). The primary care physicians in a study from Hebl and Xu (2001) reported an inverse relationship between patient BMI and the PCP's patience, job satisfaction, and willingness to assist the patient.…”

Section: Anti-fat Attitudes Of Healthcare Providersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stigma in Practice: Barriers to Health for Fat Women

Lee

Pausé

2016

Front. Psychol.

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In this paper, we explore barriers to health for fat people. By shifting the focus from what fat people do or do not do, neoliberal principles are replaced by a focus instead on structural and institutional policies, attitudes, and practices. This includes the impact of stigma on the health treatment and health-seeking behavior of fat people. For example, we consider the role that provider anti-fat attitudes and confirmation bias play in the failure to provide evidenced-based healthcare to fat patients. This is an autoethnographic paper, which provides the opportunity to read research from the perspective of fat scholars, framed by questions such as: can fat people have health? Is health itself a state of being, a set of behaviors, a commodity, a performance; perhaps the new social contract? As a co-written autoethnographic paper, one aspect of the evidence provided is the recorded experiences of the two fat authors. This includes writing from notes, journals, compiled and repeated experiences with medical professionals, family, and the community. Framed by feminist standpoint and supported by literature drawn from Fat Studies, Public Health, Obesity Research, and other interdisciplinary fields, this is a valuable opportunity to present an extended account of fat discrimination and the impact of the stigma fat people face through the medical profession and other sectors of the community, written by fat individuals. The paper concludes by considering the health pathways available to fat people. Special attention is paid to whether Bacon and Aphramor's Health at Every Size paradigm provides a path to health for fat individuals.

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“…They also find the experience of caring for people who are obese to be difficult, exhausting, stressful, and time-consuming (Brown, 2006;Epstein & Ogden, 2005;Mercer & Tessier, 2001;Teachman & Brownell, 2001). Maroney and Golub (1992) report that one third of nurses in their study responded that if given 78 Vroman and Cote a choice, they would prefer not to care for adult patients who were obese. The possible consequence of these attitudes is a lack of comfort and trust between health care practitioners and patients.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prejudicial Attitudes Toward Clients Who Are Obese: Measuring Implicit Attitudes of Occupational Therapy Students

Vroman

Cote

2010

Occupational Therapy In Health Care

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Stigmatizing attitudes can undermine the quality of health care. This study examines the attitudes and beliefs of 189 occupational therapy students toward clients who are obese. Results indicate that the occupational therapy students were more likely to make negative evaluations of clients who were obese. The univariate between-subjects analysis of the Attitudes Toward Obesity-Prejudicial Evaluation and Social Interaction Scale scores found that the difference between the means for overweight and average-weight clients for Social Distance and Judgment were statistically significant (t(187) = 2.06, p = .04; t(187) = -2.008, p = .04). There was also a statistically significant difference between the Social Distance score means for female and male clients (t(187) = -2.12, p = .03). The explicit measures, the Attitudes Toward Obese Persons and the Beliefs About Obese Persons scores, showed that many students in the sample had stereotypical beliefs and, to a lesser extent, had negative attitudes about obesity. These results add support to the inclusion in occupational therapy curricula content that specifically addresses the awareness of stigmatizing stereotypes and attitudes toward clients who are obese.

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Nurses' Attitudes toward Obese Persons and Certain Ethnic Groups

Cited by 101 publications

References 5 publications

Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity

Weight Bias among Health Professionals Specializing in Obesity

Stigma in Practice: Barriers to Health for Fat Women

Prejudicial Attitudes Toward Clients Who Are Obese: Measuring Implicit Attitudes of Occupational Therapy Students

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