Weight Bias in Nursing: A Pilot Study on Feasibility and Negative Attitude Assessment Among Primary Care Nurses.

Abstract

Background: Weight bias in healthcare can affect the quality of care and create health disparities. In nursing, the presence of weight-biassed attitudes influences the therapeutic relationship and clinical decision-making. However, in Spain, research on this phenomenon remains scarce, hindering the development of strategies to mitigate its impact. Objectives: This study aimed to assess the methodological feasibility of a study on weight bias in nursing, and to explore nurses' attitudes towards being overweight and obesity and their association with sociodemographic and body image variables. Methods: A cross-sectional, quantitative pilot study was conducted with 22 primary care nurses. The Anti-Fat Attitudes (AFA) and Beliefs About Obese Persons (BAOP) scales, previously validated in Spanish-speaking populations, were applied. Response distribution, the internal consistency of the instruments, and the relationship between variables were analysed. Results: Difficulties were identified in the recruitment of participants and the reliability of certain items of the questionnaire, as well as in the internal consistency of the scales. A trend towards moderate weight-biassed attitudes was observed in the sample, with the highest scores in the AFA's "Willpower" subscale. The BAOP scale showed a significant negative correlation with the AFA (r = -0.55, p = 0.009), indicating that a lower attribution of obesity to individual control is associated with less discriminatory attitudes. Conclusions: This pilot study helped identify methodological improvements and confirmed the presence of weight bias in nursing. It is recommended that the sample be expanded and the measuring instruments refined before performing the full study.