The Body Advocacy Movement-Health: a pilot randomized trial of a novel intervention targeting weight stigma among health professional students.

Background: Weight stigma among healthcare professionals is associated with negative health impacts on patients, yet there are few effective strategies to combat weight stigma among health professional learners. The Body Advocacy Movement-Health (BAM-Health) is a novel group-based, peer-led stigma reduction intervention for health professional students that targets weight stigma across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and structural levels. The present study (1) assesses short-term impacts of BAM-Health participation on intrapersonal and interpersonal weight bias compared to an informational brochure control condition and (2) explores the feasibility and acceptability of BAM-Health among a sample of health professional students.

Methods: Sixty-seven health professional students participated in BAM-Health (n = 34) or received an informational brochure about weight stigma (n = 33). Participants completed validated self-report surveys assessing internalized weight/ appearance concerns and interpersonal weight stigma prior to their assigned intervention (baseline), immediately following intervention (post-intervention), and four weeks after intervention (follow-up). Baseline to post-intervention and baseline to follow-up effect sizes on each measure were calculated. At post-intervention, participants completed feedback surveys for thematic assessment.

Results: BAM-Health participation had a large baseline to post-intervention effect on internalized weight/ appearance concerns that diminished slightly at follow-up (Cohen's d = -0.88; d = -0.62). Receipt of the informational brochure had a small effect on internalized weight/ appearance concerns (d = -0.27); however, these changes were not sustained at follow-up (d = 0.04). BAM-Health participation resulted in reductions in interpersonal obesity stigma and anti-fatness with small effect sizes (d = -0.32; d = -0.31). The effect on obesity stigma was slightly amplified at follow-up (d = -0.43); however, decreases in anti-fatness were not sustained (d = -0.13). The brochure condition failed to demonstrate effects on anti-fatness (d = 0.13, d = 0.14) or obesity stigma (d = -0.12; d = -0.12) at either time point. Between-session attrition rates of 4.5%, favorable quantitative ratings on post-session acceptability surveys, and free responses demonstrating appreciation of the virtual group environment and session activities reflect feasibility and acceptability of BAM-Health.

Conclusions: BAM-Health is a novel peer-led intervention that aims to reduce weight stigma among health professional students. BAM-Health met feasibility benchmarks and received positive feedback from participants, demonstrating acceptability and indicating interest among health professional students in analyzing and reducing weight stigma in their personal lives and careers. The intervention led to promising decreases in internalized and interpersonal weight stigma at post-intervention, some of which were sustained at follow-up. However, lack of effect on internalized weight/ appearance concerns measures may indicate that BAM-Health participants are more likely to reject weight stigma directed toward others following intervention, while maintaining thin ideals for themselves. Further investigation of BAM-Health with a larger sample and continued program development is warranted.