Abstract
Healthcare workers often hold implicit biases against patients with obesity, impacting communication, quality of care, and health outcomes. This pilot study explored implicit weight bias among pre-licensure nursing students towards obese patients, implements a structured intervention, and assesses changes in attitudes, perceptions, and confidence levels. The study's purpose is to enhance nursing education curricula by incorporating training that promotes unbiased, patient-centered care for obese patients. Ideally, students will have the capability to reflect, respect, and respond to patients in a positive manor. Grounded in social constructivist theory, the intervention employs simulated learning experiences, followed by debriefing and reflection. Pre- and post-simulation surveys evaluated changes in perceptions, biases, and confidence in patient interactions. The findings will guide the development of educational strategies aimed at reducing weight bias and improving care quality for obese clients, aligning with broader interdisciplinary healthcare training objectives.
Notes
References:
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Sigma Membership
Lambda Sigma
Type
Presentation
Format Type
Text-based Document
Study Design/Type
Other
Research Approach
Pilot/Exploratory Study
Keywords:
Simulation, Teaching and Learning Strategies, Public and Community Health, Clinical Practice, Promoting Clinical Outcomes, Weight Bias, Biases, Nursing Students, Nursing Student Bias
Recommended Citation
Ghast, Jacy; Farley, Holly; and Paulson, Johnna, "Combatting Weight Bias in Healthcare Students" (2025). Biennial Convention (CONV). 42.
https://www.sigmarepository.org/convention/2025/presentations_2025/42
Conference Name
48th Biennial Convention
Conference Host
Sigma Theta Tau International
Conference Location
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Conference Year
2025
Rights Holder
All rights reserved by the author(s) and/or publisher(s) listed in this item record unless relinquished in whole or part by a rights notation or a Creative Commons License present in this item record. All permission requests should be directed accordingly and not to the Sigma Repository. All submitting authors or publishers have affirmed that when using material in their work where they do not own copyright, they have obtained permission of the copyright holder prior to submission and the rights holder has been acknowledged as necessary.
Review Type
Abstract Review Only: Reviewed by Event Host
Acquisition
Proxy-submission
Date of Issue
2025-11-19
Combatting Weight Bias in Healthcare Students
Indianapolis, Indiana, USA
Healthcare workers often hold implicit biases against patients with obesity, impacting communication, quality of care, and health outcomes. This pilot study explored implicit weight bias among pre-licensure nursing students towards obese patients, implements a structured intervention, and assesses changes in attitudes, perceptions, and confidence levels. The study's purpose is to enhance nursing education curricula by incorporating training that promotes unbiased, patient-centered care for obese patients. Ideally, students will have the capability to reflect, respect, and respond to patients in a positive manor. Grounded in social constructivist theory, the intervention employs simulated learning experiences, followed by debriefing and reflection. Pre- and post-simulation surveys evaluated changes in perceptions, biases, and confidence in patient interactions. The findings will guide the development of educational strategies aimed at reducing weight bias and improving care quality for obese clients, aligning with broader interdisciplinary healthcare training objectives.
Description
This pilot study investigates implicit weight bias in pre-licensure nursing students and evaluates the effectiveness of a structured intervention using simulated learning experiences, reflection, and surveys. By enhancing nursing curricula to promote patient-centered care for obese patients, the study aims to reduce bias and improve healthcare outcomes through evidence-based educational strategies.