A study of anti-fat bias among Danish general practitioners and whether this bias and general practitioners' lifestyle can affect treatment of tension headache in patients with obesity
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A study of anti-fat bias among Danish general practitioners and whether this bias and general practitioners' lifestyle can affect treatment of tension headache in patients with obesity. / Lund, Thomas Bøker; Brodersen, John; Sandøe, Peter.
In: Obesity Facts, Vol. 11, No. 6, 2018, p. 501-513.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › peer-review
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T1 - A study of anti-fat bias among Danish general practitioners and whether this bias and general practitioners' lifestyle can affect treatment of tension headache in patients with obesity
AU - Lund, Thomas Bøker
AU - Brodersen, John
AU - Sandøe, Peter
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Objectives: The study investigated whether treatment options for episodic tension-type headache vary among general practitioners (GPs) in Denmark depending on the patients’ weight status and gender, and whether these decisions can be explained by the GPs’ own anti-fat bias and lifestyle. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study with responses from 240 GPs on measures of anti-fat bias, healthiness of GPs’ lifestyles, and reported patient treatment decisions. Results: GPs tended to exhibit negative explicit and implicit anti-fat bias. There were no differences in choice of medical treatment for patients with obesity and those of a normal weight. GPs were more likely to advise a general health check to a patient with obesity (p < 0.001). GPs treating a male patient with obesity were less likely to believe that their patient would comply with the advised treatment compared to those with a male patient of normal weight. Compared with other patient types (4.4–7.7%), GPs who treated a male patient with obesity (27.9%) were more likely to advise a general health check only and no diary-keeping or follow-up consultation (p < 0.001). This was explained by the healthiness of the GPs’ lifestyles (Spearman’s ρ = 0.367; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Despite the presence of clear anti-fat bias, there were no differences in medical treatment, and GPs managed the general health of patients with obesity proactively. The fact that the GPs’ own lifestyle influenced the likelihood that they would recommend diary-keeping and follow-up consultations for male patients with obesity is remarkable and requires further investigation.
AB - Objectives: The study investigated whether treatment options for episodic tension-type headache vary among general practitioners (GPs) in Denmark depending on the patients’ weight status and gender, and whether these decisions can be explained by the GPs’ own anti-fat bias and lifestyle. Methods: A cross-sectional questionnaire study with responses from 240 GPs on measures of anti-fat bias, healthiness of GPs’ lifestyles, and reported patient treatment decisions. Results: GPs tended to exhibit negative explicit and implicit anti-fat bias. There were no differences in choice of medical treatment for patients with obesity and those of a normal weight. GPs were more likely to advise a general health check to a patient with obesity (p < 0.001). GPs treating a male patient with obesity were less likely to believe that their patient would comply with the advised treatment compared to those with a male patient of normal weight. Compared with other patient types (4.4–7.7%), GPs who treated a male patient with obesity (27.9%) were more likely to advise a general health check only and no diary-keeping or follow-up consultation (p < 0.001). This was explained by the healthiness of the GPs’ lifestyles (Spearman’s ρ = 0.367; p < 0.01). Conclusion: Despite the presence of clear anti-fat bias, there were no differences in medical treatment, and GPs managed the general health of patients with obesity proactively. The fact that the GPs’ own lifestyle influenced the likelihood that they would recommend diary-keeping and follow-up consultations for male patients with obesity is remarkable and requires further investigation.
KW - Clinical vignette
KW - Obesity management
KW - Primary care
KW - Weight bias
U2 - 10.1159/000493373
DO - 10.1159/000493373
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 30537717
VL - 11
SP - 501
EP - 513
JO - Obesity Facts
JF - Obesity Facts
SN - 1662-4025
IS - 6
ER -
ID: 212246760