Assessing Weight Bias Among Turkish Dietitians

Assessing Weight Bias Among Turkish Dietitians: Determinants and Impact on Professional Practice

The objective of this study was to examine weight bias among Turkish dietitians. and to investigate the effect of the patient's weight status on the dietitian's assessment and dietetic practice.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Weight Bias; Weight Stigma

Detailed Description

The dietitians were randomly assigned to an online case study with lactose intolerance, with all patient information identical except for the patient's weight and photograph. In one case there was a photograph of a woman with obesity and in the other a woman of normal weight. The objective of the case study was to evaluate how the body weight of a patient who consulted a dietitian for a reason unrelated to the body weight affected professional practices.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 411

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Turkey
  • Izmir, Turkey, 35620
    • Izmir Katip Çelebi University

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Child; Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: N/A

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study sample consisted of dietitians working Türkiye

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Dietitians working in Turkiye

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pregnancy
• breastfeeding

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

2

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Picture belong to a patient with obesity; Dietitians were randomly assigned to a case study via SurveyMonkey. All the information (demographics, biochemical parameters and diet history physical activity level) about the cases was the same, only their weight and, therefore, their photographs were different. In this case there was a photograph of a woman with obesity
Picture belong to a patient with normal-weight; Dietitians were randomly assigned to a case study via SurveyMonkey. All the information (demographics, biochemical parameters and diet history physical activity level) about the cases was the same, only their weight and, therefore, their photographs were different. In this case there was a photograph of a woman with normal weight.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences between dietitians' lifestyle recommendations among groups.	Dietitians' recommendations lifestyle recommendations (such as dietary intake of energy and macronutrients) were assessed using a 5-point Likert-type scale (1; should be greatly reduced, 5; should be greatly increased).	Baseline

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Differences between the biochemical status rated by dietitians between groups	Dietitians rated the biochemical status of the case with a 5-point Likert type scale (1; very good, 5; very poor).	Baseline
Differences between the diet quality rated by dietitians between groups	Dietitians rated the diet quality of the case with a 5-point Likert type scale (1; very good, 5; very poor).	Baseline
Differences between dietatians' expectations regarding the patient's adherence to the diet between groups	Dietatians' expectations regarding the patient's adherence to the diet were assessed using the statements "the patient is willing to be treated", "the patient is expected to comply with the treatment recommendations", "the patient will be successful in making dietary changes", "the patient will be able to sustain recommendations", "the patient understood treatment recommendations". A 5-point Likert type scale (1; strongly disagree, 5; strongly agree) was used to rate these statements.	Baseline

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Ezgi Bellikci Koyu
• Collaborators: The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): August 10, 2021
• Primary Completion (Actual): November 30, 2021
• Study Completion (Actual): November 30, 2021

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: September 30, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2024
• First Posted (Actual): October 2, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): October 2, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: October 1, 2024
• Last Verified: October 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: obesity; dietitian; weight stigma; weight bias; fat-phobia
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Body Weight
• Other Study ID Numbers: 1919B012005303

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: All IPD that underlie results in a publication

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No