Are nurses biased against obese patients?

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: This study is planned to determine the biases of nurses caring for obese patients and to improve suggestions for improving care quality of obese patients. METHODS: A total of 370 nurses (95.8%) working in a university hospital who met research criteria constituted sample of this study. Data have been collected between February-May 2017 using data collection form and GAMS-27 Obesity Prejudice Scale (GAMS-27 OPS). Percent, average, standard deviation, student t, ANOVA, and pearson correlation tests have been used in data analysis. RESULTS: Out of 69.2% of nurses caring for obese patients, only 27.6% have stated to have taken an education about obesity. GAMS-27 OPS mean score of nurses is 73.4+-10.2, and 63.2% has been identified as bias inclined and 10.0% as biased. While age, gender, education status and marital status of nurses do not affect scale scores, education taken for obese patient care is determined to decrease the bias incline. It was determined that as the body mass index of the nurses decreased, the obesity bias increased significantly. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Study results showed most of nurses to be bias inclined, few to have taken education for obese patient care, and education to decrease bias incline against obese patients. Considering impact of training, this issue may be included in existing nursing education and in-service trainings. It may be advisable to conduct new studies in which the factors affecting the bias tendency of nurses are determined and the relationship between the reasons why nurses donot want to give care to obese patients and the bias tendencies.

Keywords

• bias
• obesity
• nurse
• gams-27 ops