Prevalence of Weight Stigma in Medical Settings Among Reproductive-Aged Women in the All of Us Study

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To analyze health care treatment experiences among a diverse cohort of reproductive-aged women from the All of Us study, focusing on variations due to body mass index (BMI). METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study that used data from the All of Us Research Program. We analyzed weight bias among reproductive-aged women aged 18–44 years. Weight bias was assessed using a proxy 7-item survey that evaluated discrimination in health care experiences, including courtesy, respect, service quality, being treated as competent, displaying fear, being treated as inferior, and being listened to during health care visits. RESULTS: Overall, 16,791 reproductive-aged women (mean [SD] age, 35.8 [6.3]) were included in the study. Of 11,592 patients with data available on BMI, 582 were Asian (5.0%), 1,984 (17.1%) were Hispanic or Latinx, 1,007 (8.7%) were non-Hispanic Black, and 7,370 (63.6%) were non-Hispanic White. Approximately 24.2% of participants (n=2,878) had obesity, and 11.1% of participants (n=1,292) had severe obesity. In general, participants in higher BMI categories had negative experiences in the health care setting. Women with severe obesity were 1.5 to 2 times more likely to report poor experiences with their health care clinicians compared with women with healthy weight. CONCLUSION: Results show significant disparities in the health care experiences among reproductive-aged women. As participants' BMI category increased, so did their negative experiences in the health care setting. These findings underscore the urgent need for targeted interventions to address these inequities. Health care systems must prioritize strategies to ensure that all individuals, regardless of weight or BMI, receive equitable and respectful care.