Open AccessResident Physician Attitudes and Competence About Obesity Treatment: Need for Improved Education
Author(s) -
Nichola Davis
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
medical education online
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1
H-Index - 29
ISSN - 1087-2981
DOI - 10.3885/meo.2008.res00257
Subject(s) - competence (human resources) , medical education , medicine , family medicine , obesity , psychology , graduate medical education , accreditation , social psychology
Background: Obesity is a common problem in primary care, but little is known about Internal Medicine residents’ attitudes towards obesity treatment. Objective: To describe resident attitudes about obesity treatment. Methods: Cross-sectional survey of 101 Internal Medicine residents in Philadelphia, PA, and Bronx, NY. Responses to 18 items on a Likert scale assessed resident attitudes. Weight loss goals were assessed with open-ended questions to a clinical scenario. ANOVA with trend analysis compared questionnaire responses to resident postgraduate year (PGY) level. Associations between clinic site, PGY level, and dichotomized Likert responses were tested with chi-square analysis. Results: 19% of residents felt competent in prescribing weight loss programs. Few residents (18%) considered the current recommendations of a 5-10% reduction in body weight to be successful in an obese hypothetical patient. Third-year residents reported greater feelings of negativity towards obese patients than first- and second year residents (p<.05) Conclusions: Resident physicians do not feel competent in treating obesity and have unrealistic weight loss goals; third-year residents had more negative attitudes about obese patients compared to residents in their 1 st or 2 nd year of training. These areas are targets for further resident education about obesity management.