Impact of Perceived Weight Stigma among Underserved Women on Doctor-Patient Relationships.

Objective: To evaluate how perception of weight stigma among underserved women with obesity impacts doctor-patient relationships.

Methods: This study consisted of an interviewer-administered survey of 149 women with obesity (BMI ≥ 30 kg/m) immediately after their physician visit at four Federally Qualified Health Centers. Perceptions of weight stigma and physician empathy were measured using the Stigma Situations in Health Care instrument and Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure, respectively.