Dataset Information

Weight Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Findings from a Matched Sample of Adults Engaged in Weight Management.

ABSTRACT: OBJECTIVE:Despite elevated rates of obesity among some groups of sexual minority (SM) adults, research examining weight stigma in this population is scarce. METHODS:Weight stigma and weight-related health correlates were assessed in SM adults (N?=?658) versus heterosexual adults (N?=?658) matched on sex, race/ethnicity, age, education, and BMI. Adults enrolled in WW (formerly Weight Watchers) completed digital questionnaires assessing experienced weight stigma, weight bias internalization (WBI), weight cycling, eating self-efficacy, eating to cope, physical activity, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL). RESULTS:Survey response rates ranged from 0.8% to 3.5%. There were no differences in experienced weight stigma between SM and heterosexual participants; more than two-thirds experienced weight stigma, and more than 50% reported stigma from family, health care providers, teachers and classmates, and community members. Gay men endorsed higher WBI than heterosexual men (??=?0.22, P?

SUBMITTER: Puhl RM

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6839787 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Weight Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Findings from a Matched Sample of Adults Engaged in Weight Management.

Puhl Rebecca M RM Himmelstein Mary S MS Pearl Rebecca L RL Wojtanowski Alexis C AC Foster Gary D GD

Obesity (Silver Spring, Md.) 20191101 11

<h4>Objective</h4>Despite elevated rates of obesity among some groups of sexual minority (SM) adults, research examining weight stigma in this population is scarce.<h4>Methods</h4>Weight stigma and weight-related health correlates were assessed in SM adults (N = 658) versus heterosexual adults (N = 658) matched on sex, race/ethnicity, age, education, and BMI. Adults enrolled in WW (formerly Weight Watchers) completed digital questionnaires assessing experienced weight stigma, weight bias interna ...[more]

PMID: 31689008

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Project description:Background/objectivesConsiderable evidence from U.S. studies suggests that weight stigma is consequential for patient-provider interactions and healthcare for people with high body weight. Despite international calls for efforts to reduce weight stigma in the medical community, cross-country research is lacking in this field. This study provides the first multinational investigation of associations between weight stigma and healthcare experiences across six Western countries.MethodsParticipants were 13,996 adults residing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, the UK, and the US who were actively enrolled in an internationally available behavioral weight management program. Participants completed identical online surveys in the dominant language for their country that assessed experienced weight stigma, internalized weight bias, and healthcare behaviors and experiences including perceived quality of care, avoidance or delay of seeking care, experiences with providers, and perceived weight stigma from doctors.ResultsAmong participants who reported a history of weight stigma (56-61%), two-thirds of participants in each country reported experiencing weight stigma from doctors. Across all six countries, after accounting for demographics, BMI, and experienced stigma, participants with higher internalized weight bias reported greater healthcare avoidance, increased perceived judgment from doctors due to body weight, lower frequency of obtaining routine checkups, less frequent listening and respect from providers, and lower quality of healthcare. Additionally, experienced weight stigma (from any source) was indirectly associated with poorer healthcare experiences through weight bias internalization, consistently across the six countries.ConclusionsWeight stigma in healthcare is prevalent among adults actively engaged in weight management across different Western countries, and internalized weight bias has negative implications for healthcare even after controlling for BMI. The similar findings across all six countries underscore the negative consequences of weight stigma on healthcare behaviors and experiences, and emphasize the need for collective international efforts to address this problem.

Dataset Information

Weight Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Findings from a Matched Sample of Adults Engaged in Weight Management.

Publications

Weight Stigma Among Sexual Minority Adults: Findings from a Matched Sample of Adults Engaged in Weight Management.

Similar Datasets

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