Abstract
Studies show that women with high BMI are less likely than thinner women to seek healthcare. We aimed to determine the mechanisms linking women's weight status to their healthcare avoidance. Women (N = 313) were surveyed from a U.S. health-panel database. We tested a theory-driven model containing multiple stigma and body-related constructs linking BMI to healthcare avoidance. The model had a good fit to the data. Higher BMI was related to greater experienced and internalized weight stigma, which were linked to greater body-related shame. Internalized weight stigma was also related to greater body-related guilt, which was associated with higher body-related shame. Body-related shame was associated with healthcare stress which ultimately contributed to healthcare avoidance. We discuss recommendations for a Weight Inclusive Approach to healthcare and the importance of enhancing education for health professionals in weight bias in order to increase appropriate use of preventive healthcare in higher weight women.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 139-147 |
| Number of pages | 9 |
| Journal | Body Image |
| Volume | 25 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Jun 2018 |
Bibliographical note
Publisher Copyright:© 2018 Elsevier Ltd
ASJC Scopus Subject Areas
- Social Psychology
- Applied Psychology
- General Psychology
Keywords
- Body mass index
- Body shame
- Healthcare avoidance
- Treatment delay
- Weight bias internalization
- Weight stigma
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