Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38626981›Full record

ArticleBMJ open2024

How do people living with obesity who use obesity services perceive healthcare professionals' representation of the disease on social media? An interpretative phenomenological analysis.

Sean Maher, Joseph McHugh, Michael Crotty, Susie Birney, Jean O'Connell, Francis Finucane, Muirne Spooner

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Sean MaherRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0003-4724-5614
Joseph McHughRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.
Michael CrottyMy Best Weight, Dublin, Blackrock, Ireland.
Susie BirneyIrish Coalition for People Living with Obesity, Dublin, Ireland.
Jean O'ConnellSt Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown, Dublin, Ireland.
Francis FinucaneHRB Clinical Research Facility, Galway University Hospitals, Galway, Ireland.ORCID 0000-0002-5374-7090
Muirne SpoonerRoyal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Dublin, Ireland mspooner@rcsi.ie.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe objective of this study was to explore how people living with obesity who use obesity services perceive healthcare professionals' (HCPs) online representation of the disease on social media. By exploring their perspective, we aimed to develop a framework to inform good practice around social media use for HCPs.

designThis was a qualitative study using a phenomenological framework. Following in-depth semi-structured interviews, analysis was undertaken to identify superordinate themes relating to how HCPs portray living with obesity online.

settingPatient advocacy organisation (The Irish Coalition for People Living with Obesity) and three clinical sites offering obesity treatment in Ireland.

participants15 adult participants comprising of 12 women and 3 men who use social media and are living with obesity and who use obesity services.

resultsThree key themes of how people living with obesity who use obesity services perceive HCP's online representation of the disease. (1) Negative experiences of HCPs-participants describe encountering weight stigma and bias on social media from HCPs that they characterised as simplistic and outdated conceptualisations. These engender shame, fear and anger. (2) Positive experience of HCPs-participants report social media allows HCPs to educate and inform public perception of obesity. Positive online experiences lead to feelings of inclusion, understanding and encouragement. (3) Expectations of HCPs-qualifications, professional titles and academic association affected the perceived trustworthiness of information and its impact on readers. Participants feel there is a duty of care for HCPs in obesity medicine to advocate and be active online to provide accurate medical information.

conclusionHCP's use of social media has a powerful impact on people with obesity who use healthcare and obesity services. Social media is a key tool in obesity awareness and education. We propose the '3E' framework-Empower, Evidence-Based and Educate and be educated to guide HCPs' social media use.

Indexed as

Social MediaAdultDelivery of Health CareFearFemaleHealth PersonnelHumansMaleObesityQualitative ResearchHealth EquityHealth Services AccessibilityObesitySocial Media

Identifiers

PMID38626981
PMCPMC11029444

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.