Clinical trial NCT06192537: Examining the Effect of Role-playing Exercise by Utilizing an Obesity Suit in a Simulation Scenario on Weight Bias and Empathy Levels Among Nutrition Sciences Students
Official title: Examining the Effect of Role-playing Exercise by Utilizing an Obesity Suit in a Simulation Scenario on Weight Bias and Empathy Levels Among Nutrition Sciences Students
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Obesity
Bias, Weight
Lead sponsor: Ariel University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Tel Hai College
First posted: 2024-01-05
Enrollment: 34
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 18
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: yes
Allocation: NA
Intervention model: SINGLE_GROUP
Primary purpose: SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Brief summary: A quasi-experimental design (i.e., "One-Group Pretest-Posttest Design") will be applied among 34 convenient samples of undergraduate students in their first year of nutrition sciences program at Ariel University and Tel-Hai College. The intervention will take place at the simulation centers of the institutions. All participants will be asked to wear an obesity simulation suit (Unisex obesity Simulation suit, Erler-Zimmer, Germany) and to participate in a standardized scenario that simulates meetings between a person with obesity and a 'registered dietitian'. The 'registered dietitian' will be presented by a professional role-player and the scenario will encompass different levels of weight bias. At baseline, 1- and 3-week post-intervention both groups will be asked to fill in a survey using "Qualtrics" software. The survey will include the Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire (AFA), the Short-Form of Fat-Phobia scale (F-scale), the Weight-Implicit Association-Test (weight-IAT), and the Jefferson Scale of Empathy. Data on demographics, weight history, and perception, measurement of actual weight and height, and the beliefs about the causes of obesity questionnaire will be collected at baseline.


Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* undergraduate students in their first year of the nutrition sciences program at Ariel University or Tel-Hai College
* age ≥18 years
* having fluency in Hebrew
* ability to wear an obesity suit
* willingness to participate in the study

Primary outcomes:
measure: Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire ('AFA')
timeFrame: Change from baseline at three- weeks post-intervention
measure: The short-form of fat-phobia scale (' F-scale')
timeFrame: Change from baseline at three- weeks post-intervention
measure: Weight Implicit Association Test ('IAT')
timeFrame: Change from baseline at three- weeks post-intervention
measure: The Jefferson Scale of Empathy (S-version)
timeFrame: Change from baseline at three- weeks post-intervention
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Demographics
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Weight perception
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Weight history
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Objective weight measurement
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: Objective height measurement
timeFrame: At baseline
measure: The beliefs about the causes of obesity questionnaire
timeFrame: At baseline
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Ariel
country: Israel
facility: Ariel University
Study officials:
References: