Designing, implementing and evaluating an educational intervention targeting weight bias and fat stereotyping.

Weight bias directed at individuals at a higher weight leaves them feeling victimised and judged. When possessed by health professionals, stigmatising attitudes may compromise professionalism and quality of care or education provided. An intervention study was conducted in the higher education setting (n = 124), through tailored course design and delivery. The intervention was embedded into a health elective that pre-service health professionals were enrolled in. Attitudes to weight and knowledge of nutrition were targeted simultaneously. Surveys conducted pre- and post-intervention revealed moderate success in achieving study aims of improving nutrition knowledge and decreasing bias. Focus group analyses supported the quantitative findings.

The effect of teacher-delivered nutrition education programs on elementary-aged students: An updated systematic review and meta-analysis.

Research shows that schools can make a positive impact on children's nutritional outcomes. However, it is also reported that schools and teaching staff note many barriers, which may restrict nutritional education programming and delivery. This is concerning, considering the view that teachers are the key agents for promoting health and nutrition within schools. The purpose of the updated systematic review and meta-analysis was to ascertain the impact that nutrition education programs have on elementary-aged students' energy intake, fruit, vegetable, sugar consumption and nutritional knowledge. A systematic literature search was conducted using electronic databases (The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); A + Education; ERIC; PsycINFO; MEDLINE; ProQuest Central, Journals@Ovid and SAGE Health Sciences Full-Text Collection) from 1990 to 31st October 2018. This process yielded 34 studies for inclusion in this systematic review and meta-analysis. Of these studies, seven studies had a focus on energy intake, five had a focus on sugar consumption, 21 of the studies looked at fruit and vegetable consumption and 13 studies focused on nutritional knowledge. The results suggest that the teaching of nutrition education in elementary schools by qualified teachers can make an important contribution to the knowledge and dietary habits of children. The small and medium effect sizes indicate that prudent, evidence-based decisions need to be made by policy makers and pedagogues as to the teaching strategies employed when delivering nutrition education programs to elementary-aged students. The review is reported in accordance to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines (van Sluijs et al., 2007).

An Examination into the Weight-Based Attitudes and Level of Nutrition Knowledge Possessed by Pre-Service Health Professionals.

Professional practice amongst health professionals is at its peak when conducted free of bias and founded in accurate, up-to-date knowledge. If tarnished by judgmental attitudes or inadequate or inaccurate knowledge, individuals receiving health care or education may be disadvantaged or, worse, stigmatized. This study sought to detect if pre-service health professionals possess weight bias and quantify the degree of bias if present. It also sought to measure the level of nutrition knowledge that pre-service health professionals possess and compare these attitudes and knowledge to professionals whose roles are not incumbent on providing health education or counselling. Participants (n=174) were enrolled in an undergraduate nutrition elective and completed a survey containing the General Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire, Crandall's Antifat Attitudes Questionnaire, and the Fat Stereotyping Questionnaire. Students in non-health-related degrees (n=92) displayed higher levels of nutrition knowledge than those in health-related streams (n=82). Weight bias was detected amongst both groups and was stronger in students enrolled in health degrees. Fat stereotyping was detected at a medium level and, although insignificant, was higher amongst pre-service health professionals. Results of this study support the call for attitudes and knowledge to be addressed during the formal period of higher education, with the aim of reducing weight bias and improving nutrition knowledge before pre-service professionals graduate and enter the workforce.