Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Physiotherapists demonstrate weight stigma: a cross-sectional survey of Australian physiotherapists

    200788_132784_Physiotherapists_demonstrate_weight_stigma.pdf (299.7Kb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Setchell, J.
    Watson, B.
    Jones, L.
    Gard, M.
    Briffa, Kathy
    Date
    2014
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Setchell, J. and Watson, B. and Jones, L. and Gard, M. and Briffa, K. 2014. Physiotherapists demonstrate weight stigma: a cross-sectional survey of Australian physiotherapists. Journal of Physiotherapy. 60 (3): pp. 157-162.
    Source Title
    Journal of Physiotherapy
    DOI
    10.1016/j.jphys.2014.06.020
    ISSN
    1836-9553
    School
    School of Physiotherapy
    Remarks

    This article is published under the Open Access publishing model and distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ Please refer to the licence to obtain terms for any further reuse or distribution of this work

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36625
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    Question: Do physiotherapists demonstrate explicit and implicit weight stigma? Design: Cross-sectional survey with partial blinding of participants. Participants responded to the Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire and physiotherapy case studies with body mass index (BMI) manipulated (normal or overweight/obese). The Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire included 13 items scored on a Likert-type scale from 0 to 8. Any score greater than zero indicated explicit weight stigma. Implicit weight stigma was determined by comparing responses to case studies with people of different BMI categories (where responses were quantitative) and by thematic and count analysis for free-text responses. Participants: Australian physiotherapists (n = 265) recruited via industry networks. Results: The mean item score for the Anti-Fat Attitudes questionnaire was 3.2 (SD 1.1), which indicated explicit weight stigma. The Dislike (2.1, SD 1.2) subscale had a lower mean item score than the Fear (3.9, SD 1.8) and Willpower (4.9, SD 1.5) subscales. There was minimal indication from the case studies that people who are overweight receive different treatment from physiotherapists in clinical parameters such as length of treatment time (p = 0.73) or amount of hands-on treatment (p = 0.88). However, there were indications of implicit weight stigma in the way participants discussed weight in free-text responses about patient management. Conclusion: Physiotherapists demonstrate weight stigma. This finding is likely to affect the way they communicate with patients about their weight, which may negatively impact their patients. It is recommended that physiotherapists reflect on their own attitudes towards people who are overweight and whether weight stigma influences treatment focus.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Current practice in management of pelvic girdle pain amongst physiotherapists in Norway and Australia
      Beales, Darren; Hope, J.; Hoff, T.; Sandvik, H.; Wergeland, O.; Fary, Robyn (2014)
      Pelvic girdle pain (PGP) is frequently managed by physiotherapists. Little is known about current physiotherapy practice and beliefs in the management of PGP disorders. The primary aim of this study was to investigate ...
    • ‘They Say HIV is a Punishment from God or from Ancestors’: Cross-Cultural Adaptation and Psychometric Assessment of an HIV Stigma Scale for South African Adolescents Living with HIV (ALHIV-SS)
      Pantelic, M.; Boyes, Mark; Cluver, L.; Thabeng, M. (2017)
      Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 90 % of the world’s adolescents living with HIV (ALHIV). HIV-stigma and the resultant fear of being identified as HIV-positive can compromise the survival of these youth by undermining ...
    • Breastfeeding and perceptions of breast shape changes in Australian and Japanese women
      Inoue, Madoka (2012)
      This thesis examines infant feeding practices, including knowledge and attitudes towards breastfeeding, factors that influence the duration of breastfeeding, and breastfeeding outcomes in relation to postpartum women’s ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.