Impact of Perceived Weight Discrimination on Patient Satisfaction and Physician Trust

Abstract

Fat patients may perceive weight discrimination from their physician or the support personnel with whom they interact. This in turn may harm the physician-patient relationship. Physician trust and patient satisfaction are two domains in which the effect of perceived weight discrimination can be assessed. The authors assessed whether size as measured by body mass index (BMI) is related to patient satisfaction and physician trust, and whether this relationship is mediated by perceived weight discrimination. Eighty-nine men and women of all weight classes were recruited to participate in the study. Participants completed an online survey of healthcare perceptions. The relationship between BMI and accessibility and convenience satisfaction was fully mediated by perceived weight discrimination, suggesting that measures to reduce perceived weight discrimination may be warranted in medical care settings.