The Exploration of an Active Training Tool to Reduce Weight Bias Among Students Pursuing a Healthcare-related Degree

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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An open-label parallel RCT will be conducted among 220 students pursuing a health-related degree at Ariel university. The intervention tool will be based on the constructive social learning model and will include a short lecture on obesity, scenarios simulating a meeting between health professionals and patients with obesity that will be presented by professional role-players and include varying degrees of weight bias, stigma and discrimination, and an open discourse with a patient with obesity. The tool's development will be carried out throughout recommended steps including a comprehensive literature review, preparation of a preliminary draft of the plan, evaluation of the planned intervention tool in terms of content validity, and a pilot testing of the tool among n=15 students from the target population. The control group will receive a short-written document on obesity. This study will utilize an embedded mixed-method approach. At baseline, one- and six- weeks post-intervention both groups will be asked to fill an anonymous online survey which will include demographics, weight and body perception, knowledge about obesity, the Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire, the Short-Form of Fat-Phobia scale, and the Weight-Implicit Association-Test. Moreover, in-depth interviews will be conducted among 15 participants from each group.

Official Title
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The Exploration of an Active Training Tool to Reduce Weight Bias Among Students Pursuing a Healthcare-related Degree

Conditions
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Obesity Bias

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: An active training tool on weight bias and knowledge about obesity
* Behavioral: A short-written document on obesity


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: undergraduate students pursuing a healthcare-related degree including nutrition science, health systems management, communication disorders, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, and nursing at Ariel university age ≥18 years willingness to participate in the study.

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Active Comparator: An active training tool on weight bias and knowledge about obesity<br>The intervention will take place at the university simulation center and include three components. First, a short-lecture on obesity and weight bias. Second, four scenarios that simulate meetings between health professionals and people with obesity which will be presented by professional role-players in sequence. Each scenario will include a different therapeutic situation and include varying degrees of weight bias, stigma, and discrimination to stimulate students to think and react. Third, an active open discourse with a person with obesity will be held. | Behavioral: An active training tool on weight bias and knowledge about obesity<br>* The intervention will take place at the university simulation center and include three components. First, a short lecture on obesity and weight bias. Second, four scenarios that simulate meetings between health professionals and people with obesity which will be presented by professional role-players in sequence. Each scenario will include a different therapeutic situation and include varying degrees of weight bias, stigma, and discrimination to stimulate students to think and react. Third, an active open discourse with a person with obesity will be held.<br>|
| Placebo Comparator: A short-written document on obesity<br>A short-written document on obesity which will be based on current literature. | Behavioral: A short-written document on obesity<br>* A short-written document on obesity which will be based on current literature.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire ('AFA') | The 'AFA' indicates explicit anti-fat attitudes toward people with obesity and is composed of 13-items rated on a 10-point Likert scale and divided into three subscales ('dislike', 'fear about fat' and 'willpower'), with higher total scores indicating stronger anti-fat attitudes. | Change from baseline at six- weeks post-intervention | 
| The short-form of fat-phobia scale (' F-scale') | The 'F-scale' indicates fat-phobic attitudes toward people with obesity and is composed of 14-pairs of adjectives that are used to describe people with obesity (e.g., 'no willpower' vs. 'has willpower') and ranked on a 1-5 scale according to the point closest to the adjective name that describes their feelings and beliefs. Higher scores indicate stronger fat-phobic attitudes. | Change from baseline at six- weeks post-intervention | 
| Weight Implicit Association Test ('IAT') | IAT tool is an indirect measure of implicit bias toward weight which uses the constructs of fat people versus thin people and the polarized attitudes of good and bad to detect implicit weight bias. | Change from baseline at six- weeks post-intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge about obesity | Knowledge about obesity will be assessed by five questions that were written by the research team according to current literature. | Change from baseline at six- weeks post-intervention |