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

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.