Prevalence and determinants of unconscious stereotyping among primary care physicians

Abstract

To explore implicit stereotyping among primary healthcare (PHC) physicians and to identify determinants of physicians' stereotyping of patients based on the patients' characteristics and appearance. Methods: This study followed an analytical cross-sectional design conducted between October 2019 and December 2019, and included 250 primary healthcare (PHC) physicians in Aseer Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Data was collected using a self-administered questionnaire, which included items concerning physicians' sociodemographic characteristics, and their attitudes toward patient characteristics and patient appearance. Results: Prevalence of stereotyping among PHC physicians was 63.6% with respect to patient characteristics and 57.6% with respect to patient Original Article appearance. Stereotyping based on patient characteristics was higher among younger participants, females, those with bachelor's degrees, those in general practitioner positions, and those with less experience in PHC. Conclusion: Most PHC physicians in Aseer Region, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, are liable to implicit stereotyping based on patient characteristics (namely, gender and educational level) and patient appearance (namely, clothing). Therefore, it is recommended to train PHC physicians in cultural competency to reduce unintentional acts of discrimination toward their patients.