Obesity Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Obesity, including details on health, diet, prevention, exercise. | ||||||||
|
Weight-related perceptions among patients and physicians: how well do physicians judge patients' motivation to lose weight?Befort CA, Greiner KA, Hall S, Pulvers KM, Nollen NL, Charbonneau A, Kaur H, Ahluwalia JS Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66160, USA. cbefort@kumc.edu BACKGROUND: Prior studies suggest that patients and physicians have different perceptions and expectations surrounding weight; however, few studies have directly compared patients' and physicians' perspectives. OBJECTIVES: (1) To measure the extent to which obese patients and their physicians have discrepant weight-related perceptions, and (2) to explore patient and physician characteristics that may influence patient-physician discrepancy in motivation to lose weight. DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS: Four hundred and fifty-six obese patients (302 females; mean age = 55.1 years; mean BMI = 37.9) and their 28 primary care physicians (22 males, mean age = 44.1 years) from nonmetropolitan practices completed an anonymous survey after an office visit. MEASURES: Weight-related perceptions included perceived weight status, health impact of weight, 1-year weight loss expectations, and motivation to lose weight. Correlates included patient and physician sex, age, and BMI; physicians' reported frequency, perceived patient preference, and confidence for weight counseling; and practice characteristics (e.g., years in practice). RESULTS: Physicians assigned patients to heavier descriptive weight categories and reported a worse health impact than patients perceived for themselves, whereas patients believed they could lose more weight and reported a higher motivation to lose weight than their physicians perceived for patients (P < .001). Physicians who believed patients preferred to discuss weight more often (P = .001) and who saw more patients per week (P = .04) were less likely to underestimate patient motivation. CONCLUSIONS: Patients reported more optimistic weight-related perceptions and expectations than their physicians. Further research is needed to determine how these patient-physician discrepancies may influence weight loss counseling in primary care. Published 14 September 2006 in J Gen Intern Med, 21(10): 1086-90.
© 2004-2008 Obesity Research Today. All Rights Reserved. |
| ||||||
