TOPLINE

A meta-analysis found that structured obesity management training programs for healthcare professionals (HCPs), defined by clear learning objectives and curricula, were significantly associated with improved HCP competencies — especially confidence. Only the longer programs (≥ 4 hours) were associated with a significant improvement.

METHODOLOGY

• HCPs are central to obesity care, yet studies often find gaps in their knowledge and confidence, along with stigmatizing attitudes toward patients with obesity. Training programs exist, but their track record is inconsistent.
• Researchers reviewed 18 studies (four randomized controlled trials [RCTs], one non-RCT, 10 before-and-after studies, and three studies with both a non-RCT and a before-and-after design) published from 2020 to 2025, with sample sizes in the range of 7-506 participants per study; seven studies with comparison groups were pooled in the meta-analysis.
• Eligible studies evaluated obesity-focused training for working HCPs, including doctors, nurses, and allied health staff such as pharmacists and dietitians, but not students. Programs had stated learning goals and a set curriculum, and studies had to measure outcomes before and after training.
• Programs included a 6-minute video, multiday workshops, and self-paced modules of up to 10 hours, and one offered a discussion forum that ran for a year. Some were delivered online, others in person, and a few used both.
• The primary outcome was a change in the practice competencies of HCPs (knowledge, skills, practice behaviors, confidence, attitudes) and/or patient outcomes such as weight loss.

TAKEAWAY

• The pooled analysis found that structured education programs were associated with a moderate but significant improvement in the practice competencies of HCPs (standardized mean difference [SMD], 0.41; P < .01; seven studies).
• The effect was significant in RCTs (SMD, 0.53; P = .01; four studies) and in programs lasting 4 or more hours (SMD, 0.68; P < .01; three studies).
• When analyzed by outcome, only confidence showed a significant gain (SMD, 1.79; P = .04; two studies); skills and behaviors, attitudes, and knowledge were associated with moderate but non-significant improvement.
• In descriptive summaries of 13 before-and-after studies, five reported gains in confidence, but findings on practice behaviors and skills and attitudes toward weight bias and stigma were mixed.

IN PRACTICE

"Structured education and training programmes show promise for improving HCP competencies in obesity management, with the strongest and most consistent evidence observed for improvements in confidence. Interventions of 4 h or longer generally demonstrated larger effects than shorter interventions, suggesting a potential benchmark for future programme design," the authors wrote.

"Greater HCP confidence may lead to more frequent and open discussions with patients about weight, potentially increasing the initiation of evidence-based treatments," they added.

SOURCE

This study was led by Rebecca Wu, Western Sydney University, Campbelltown, Australia. It was published online in Clinical Obesity.

LIMITATIONS

The review used a single reviewer to screen studies, which may have introduced bias. Substantial heterogeneity in the interventions and outcomes reported in the included studies made the pooled results difficult to interpret. Many studies also relied on self-reported outcomes and lacked long-term follow-up (beyond 1 year) or patient-level data.

DISCLOSURES

This study did not report any specific funding. Two authors disclosed holding postgraduate research scholarships from the Western Sydney University; one of these scholarships was jointly funded by the Western Sydney University and National Association of Clinical Obesity Services (NACOS), and the author holding this scholarship also reported receiving payment for providing secretariat services to NACOS. Two other authors reported holding honorary leadership positions with NACOS.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.