The effect of dentists' body-weight size on student social judgments of dental skill and patients' behavioural intentions: a vignette study

TY - JOUR

T1 - The effect of dentists' body-weight size on student social judgments of dental skill and patients' behavioural intentions

T2 - a vignette study

AU - Asimakopoulou, Koula

AU - Ignatius, Jessica

AU - While, Alison

AU - Newton, Tim

PY - 2015/2

Y1 - 2015/2

N2 - Where previous work has suggested that over-weight individuals may be subject to negative social judgments, a finding also seen in judgments applied to healthcare professionals (HCPs), this study investigated whether these findings extend to judgments made about dental practitioners.METHODS: A photo of a normal weight male and one of a normal weight female dentist were digitally modified to reliably show them as overweight, giving a total of 4 conditions. In a single-blind quasi-randomized controlled study of 302 undergraduate and postgraduate student participants used a 5 point Likert scale to appraise a single, gender-matched colour photograph as to whether they thought the dentist depicted was competent, professional, caring, had patients' best interests at heart, and was a good dentist. They further rated their future intentions to follow behavioural advice (reduce snacking and take-up flossing) given by the depicted dentist.RESULTS: The data were analysed using independent sample t-tests. There were no differences in outcomes as a function of the weight status of the depicted dentist in any of the variables explored with the exception of the normal-weight images being rated as more caring than the overweight ones (p<.04).CONCLUSIONS: Images of overweight dentists do not receive lower social judgment ratings than images of normal-weight dentists. Previous research in medicine reporting adverse social judgments made of over-weight HCPs does not apply to dental practitioners. Future research should focus on factors that may explain these findings. Clinical significance: Dentists appear to be protected from the adverse effect of overweight on social judgments of their personal characteristics and on their health-promoting advice.

AB - Where previous work has suggested that over-weight individuals may be subject to negative social judgments, a finding also seen in judgments applied to healthcare professionals (HCPs), this study investigated whether these findings extend to judgments made about dental practitioners.METHODS: A photo of a normal weight male and one of a normal weight female dentist were digitally modified to reliably show them as overweight, giving a total of 4 conditions. In a single-blind quasi-randomized controlled study of 302 undergraduate and postgraduate student participants used a 5 point Likert scale to appraise a single, gender-matched colour photograph as to whether they thought the dentist depicted was competent, professional, caring, had patients' best interests at heart, and was a good dentist. They further rated their future intentions to follow behavioural advice (reduce snacking and take-up flossing) given by the depicted dentist.RESULTS: The data were analysed using independent sample t-tests. There were no differences in outcomes as a function of the weight status of the depicted dentist in any of the variables explored with the exception of the normal-weight images being rated as more caring than the overweight ones (p<.04).CONCLUSIONS: Images of overweight dentists do not receive lower social judgment ratings than images of normal-weight dentists. Previous research in medicine reporting adverse social judgments made of over-weight HCPs does not apply to dental practitioners. Future research should focus on factors that may explain these findings. Clinical significance: Dentists appear to be protected from the adverse effect of overweight on social judgments of their personal characteristics and on their health-promoting advice.

U2 - 10.1016/j.jdent.2014.11.006

DO - 10.1016/j.jdent.2014.11.006

M3 - Article

C2 - 25460851

SN - 0300-5712

VL - 43

SP - 235

EP - 240

JO - Journal of Dentistry

JF - Journal of Dentistry

IS - 2

ER -