Weight Bias Among Nutrition and Dietetics Students in a Ghanaian Public University.

Objectives: To measure the internal consistency reliability of 3 weight bias scales among nutrition and dietetics students enrolled at a public university in Ghana and to use the Fat Phobia Scale (FPS) to determine the prevalence of weight bias and the differences in gender and body mass index.

Design: Online survey gathered self-reported height, weight, and demographic data. Explicit weight bias was assessed using validated FPS, Beliefs About Obese People, and Attitudes Toward Obese Persons scales.

Participants: Sample of 172 students.

Main Outcome Measures: Prevalence of weight bias.

Analysis: Cronbach α reliability test was used to measure the internal consistency of scales. The prevalence of weight bias was expressed as a percentage. Independent t tests and analysis of variance were used to explore differences in gender and weight categories.

Results: The reliability scores for FPS, Beliefs About Obese People, and Attitudes Toward Obese Persons scales were 0.92, 0.51, and 0.38, respectively. About 53% of participants expressed weight bias. A significant difference was observed for weight bias between overweight and obese participants, with participants with obesity showing greater weight bias (P = 0.03).

Conclusion And Implications: Fat Phobia Scale (most reliable) identified more than half of the students had a negative attitude toward obesity. Weight bias training within this population may improve attitudes toward obesity.