Weight-biased attitudes about pediatric patients with obesity in Dutch healthcare professionals from seven different professions

Bibian van der Voorn; Roxanna Camfferman; Jacob C. Seidell; Rebecca M. Puhl; Jutka Halberstadt

doi:10.1177/13674935221133953

Weight-biased attitudes about pediatric patients with obesity in Dutch healthcare professionals from seven different professions

Bibian van der Voorn^*, Roxanna Camfferman, Jacob C. Seidell, Rebecca M. Puhl, Jutka Halberstadt

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

Little is known about the prevalence of negative weight-biased attitudes among Dutch healthcare professionals (HCPs) when treating children and adolescents with obesity and whether interdisciplinary differences are present. Accordingly, we asked Dutch HCPs that treat pediatric patients with obesity to complete a validated 22-item self-report questionnaire about their weight-biased attitudes. In total, 555 HCPs participated from seven different disciplines: 41 general practitioners (GPs), 40 pediatricians, 132 youth healthcare physicians, 223 youth healthcare nurses, 40 physiotherapists, 40 dieticians, and 39 mental health professionals. HCPs from all disciplines reported to experience negative weight-biased attitudes among themselves. Pediatricians and GPs scored highest on negative weight-biased attitudes, including frustrations in treating children with obesity, and feeling less confident and prepared to treat children with obesity. Dieticians scored the least negative weight-biased attitudes. Participants from all groups perceived weight bias expressed by their colleagues, toward children with obesity. These findings are comparable to results reported by adult HCPs from other countries. Interdisciplinary differences were found and underscore the need for more research on contributing factors that impact explicit weight bias among pediatric HCPs.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	243-252
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Child Health Care
Volume	27
Issue number	2
Early online date	2 Mar 2023
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1177/13674935221133953
Publication status	Published - Jun 2023

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We would like to thank all professionals who have participated in this study. In addition, we would like to thank our pilot municipalities who have helped recruiting professionals all over the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Almere, Arnhem, Den Bosch, Maastricht, Oss, Smallingerland and Zaandam. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043].

Funding Information:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043].

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2023.

Funding

We would like to thank all professionals who have participated in this study. In addition, we would like to thank our pilot municipalities who have helped recruiting professionals all over the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Almere, Arnhem, Den Bosch, Maastricht, Oss, Smallingerland and Zaandam. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043]. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043].

Keywords

health personnel
Netherlands
pediatric obesity
social stigma
weight prejudice

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10.1177/13674935221133953

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36861392/Licence: Other

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title = "Weight-biased attitudes about pediatric patients with obesity in Dutch healthcare professionals from seven different professions",

abstract = "Little is known about the prevalence of negative weight-biased attitudes among Dutch healthcare professionals (HCPs) when treating children and adolescents with obesity and whether interdisciplinary differences are present. Accordingly, we asked Dutch HCPs that treat pediatric patients with obesity to complete a validated 22-item self-report questionnaire about their weight-biased attitudes. In total, 555 HCPs participated from seven different disciplines: 41 general practitioners (GPs), 40 pediatricians, 132 youth healthcare physicians, 223 youth healthcare nurses, 40 physiotherapists, 40 dieticians, and 39 mental health professionals. HCPs from all disciplines reported to experience negative weight-biased attitudes among themselves. Pediatricians and GPs scored highest on negative weight-biased attitudes, including frustrations in treating children with obesity, and feeling less confident and prepared to treat children with obesity. Dieticians scored the least negative weight-biased attitudes. Participants from all groups perceived weight bias expressed by their colleagues, toward children with obesity. These findings are comparable to results reported by adult HCPs from other countries. Interdisciplinary differences were found and underscore the need for more research on contributing factors that impact explicit weight bias among pediatric HCPs.",

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note = "Funding Information: We would like to thank all professionals who have participated in this study. In addition, we would like to thank our pilot municipalities who have helped recruiting professionals all over the Netherlands: Amsterdam, Almere, Arnhem, Den Bosch, Maastricht, Oss, Smallingerland and Zaandam. The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043]. Funding Information: The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work was supported by the Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport [grant number VWS: 324043]. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} The Author(s) 2023.",

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AU - Halberstadt, Jutka

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Weight-biased attitudes about pediatric patients with obesity in Dutch healthcare professionals from seven different professions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

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