Adult Obesity Management: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Alberta Family Physicians

• Author / Creator

  Short, Hilary

• Obesity is a national and global issue. Primary care is an important area in the prevention and treatment of obesity. There are numerous potential barriers physicians face in delivering effective practices in obesity management. Identifying major barriers will aid health care systems, medical practices, and primary care physicians in the improvement of counseling obese patients to lose weight and maintain their weight loss for the long term. The purpose of the study was to explore the relationship of physician attitudes, knowledge, and practice environment on their practice behaviours in delivering obesity management to adults in primary care. Physicians were assessed using a survey instrument, developed on the basis of four previously validated surveys. A database from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta was used to identify Alberta family physicians to invite to participate and gather data from. 129 physicians participated in the study through completion of the survey. The results of the study did not indicate that physicians’ attitudes towards obese patients explain for their behaviour in delivering obesity management in primary practice. Physician knowledge, responsibility, and practice environment modestly explain physician behaviours with respect to how they manage adults with obesity. Further efforts in identifying the determinants of physician behaviours in obesity management are needed.

• Subjects / Keywords

  • Primary care
  • Obesity management
  • Family physicians

• Graduation date

  Spring 2015

• Type of Item

  Thesis

• Degree

  Master of Science

• DOI

  https://doi.org/10.7939/R3Z31NX1D

• License

  This thesis is made available by the University of Alberta Libraries with permission of the copyright owner solely for non-commercial purposes. This thesis, or any portion thereof, may not otherwise be copied or reproduced without the written consent of the copyright owner, except to the extent permitted by Canadian copyright law.