Poster Presentation ESA-SRB-ANZOS 2025 in conjunction with ENSA

Implementing and evaluating an educational intervention for weight stigma reduction among dentistry and oral health therapy students: an implementation study   (128497)

Zanab Malik 1 2 , Kathryn Williams 3 4 , Dileep Sharma 1 , Wei Xuan 5 , Deborah Cockrell 1 , Clare Collins 6 7
  1. School of Health Sciences (Oral Health), College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Ourimbah, NSW, Australia
  2. Oral Health Services, South Western Sydney Local Health District, Campbelltown, NSW, Australia
  3. Nepean Blue Mountains Family Metabolic Health Service, Nepean Hospital, Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Kingswood, NSW, Australia
  4. Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Nepean, NSW, Australia
  5. Translational Health Research Institute, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, Australia
  6. School of Health Sciences (Nutrition and Dietetics), College of Health, Medicine and Wellbeing, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, Australia
  7. Food and Nutrition Research Program, Hunter Medical Research Institute, New Lambton Heights, NSW, Australia

Background: There is evidence of weight stigma in the dental setting. However, interventions to reduce weight stigma have been minimally explored and not previously evaluated for their implementation outcomes.

Aims: To assess the implementation outcomes of an educational intervention to reduce weight stigma in students.

Methods: Dentistry and oral health therapy students across all Australian universities were invited to participate. Students were asked to complete and evaluate an educational module intervention to reduce weight stigma. The approaches varied by recruitment strategies, specific groups of students or universities invited, and the presence or absence of a contextual lecture, or follow-up period. Pre- and post-intervention surveys assessed participants’ weight stigma levels, attitudes and beliefs regarding obesity. The primary outcome measures were the acceptability, adoption, feasibility and appropriateness, and sustainability of the educational module. An embedded qualitative study explored student perspectives on how the implementation of the weight stigma educational module could be improved for the dental setting.

Results: Across three recruitment approaches, 155 students completed the entire study. Voluntary completion of the weight stigma educational module in the student cohorts was low in settings without curriculum integration (27/94; 28.7%), improved slightly by tangible incentives. The one-session curriculum-embedded intervention was the most effective for student participation. Across all recruitment approaches, the module was evaluated to be useful, relevant and likely to be recommended. Qualitative analysis revealed the most common themes for improving dental relevance were through using examples and by providing education on effective communication, patient management and links between obesity and oral health.

Conclusion: A weight stigma intervention for dental and oral health students was assessed as acceptable, feasible and appropriate and adoption was greater when embedded in the curriculum. Interventions may be enhanced for adoption by providing patient examples and education on non-stigmatising communication approaches with people living with obesity.