Validation of the Nurse Practitioner Knowledge and Attitudes of Patient Obesity Scale: A pilot study.

Background: Obesity is a chronic, complex, relapsing disease requiring medical intervention that has reached epidemic proportions globally. Most patients are still experiencing bias and stigma related to their disease-even by health care providers. Our goal in this pilot study is twofold: to develop a scale to accurately measure nurse practitioner knowledge and attitude regarding the disease of obesity to determine whether bias exists and to potentially identify gaps in knowledge that can be targeted with future educational interventions.

Purpose: To determine whether nurse practitioners in the Northeast have less stigmatized knowledge and attitudes regarding obesity.

Methodology: A survey was created by the primary investigator as the "Nurse Practitioner Knowledge and Attitudes of Patient Obesity Scale" and distributed through email to New York State Nurse Practitioner Association members. Questions explored knowledge related to treatment of the patient living with obesity and nurse practitioner attitudes toward the disease.

Results: The sample ( N = 45) was homogenous, which did not allow for generalization. Preliminary results show that a large percentage of respondents were aware of the definition of obesity as a disease and treatment guidelines. The scale met reliability and validity criteria and showed that Nurse Practitioners (NPs) with continuing education had more positive views.

Conclusions: More research is needed to understand nurse practitioner knowledge and attitudes regarding the disease of obesity and the benefit of continuing education in reducing bias and stigma.

Implications: This may serve to improve NP obesity continuing education.