Exploring Potential Solutions to Weight Stigma in Healthcare: A Mixed Methods Study

Abstract

This study seeks to identify specific shaming triggers in office procedures and the clinic environment to mitigate them. Data for this parallel mixed methods, cross sectional survey were collected online between January and February 2021. We ran descriptive and multivariate logistic regression analyses in IBM SPSS. Qualitative responses were analyzed in Excel using content analysis and thematic coding. Cisgender women (N = 384) were recruited through social media. The majority were White (n = 260, 67.7%) with 27.1% Black (n = 104). The mean age was 33.18 (SD = 7.43). The fear of enacted stigma subscale was positively related (p < .05) to all five proposed solutions, and body appreciation was negatively related (p < .05) to one proposed solution. Identified themes include mental health and emotions, provider presence and communication, structural issues, the provider’s view of the patient, interactions during the appointment and a view of health. Implicit and explicit weight-related stigma play a negative role in medical care and create barriers to access. Changes in the healthcare environment and in provider bias can improve patient outcomes.