• Nastasja Robstad, Thomas Westergren, Frank Siebler, Ulrika Söderhamn, and Liv Fegran.
• Department of Health and Nursing Sciences, Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Agder, Kristiansand, Norway.
• J Adv Nurs. 2019 Dec 1; 75 (12): 3631-3642.

AimsTo examine qualified intensive care nurses' implicit and explicit attitudes towards obese intensive care patients and whether their attitudes are associated with their behavioural intentions towards these patients.BackgroundObese intensive care patients may experience more stress than do normal-weight patients. Intensive care nurses' attitudes and the way they address their care are thus vital. Despite a range of studies revealing that health professionals hold anti-fat attitudes towards obese patients, there is a lack of knowledge about intensive care nurses' implicit and explicit attitudes and if such attitudes are associated with behavioural intention.DesignA cross-sectional survey.MethodsFrom November 2017 - January 2018, a web-based survey was conducted with 159 qualified intensive care nurses (84.3% women, mean age 45.52 years) recruited through 16 intensive care units and Facebook. The survey consisted of implicit attitude tests, explicit bias scales, the Anti-fat Attitude questionnaire, vignettes measuring behavioural intention, and demographic questions.ResultsIntensive care nurses reported implicit preferences for thin over thick people and found obese individuals slightly 'worse' and 'lazy', comprising less willpower than thin individuals. Attitudes were not associated with behavioural intention.ConclusionThis study provides new knowledge about qualified intensive care nurses' anti-fat attitudes and behavioural intention towards obese intensive care patients. These findings should be acknowledged by policymakers, clinical healthcare providers and educators to secure optimal care for these patients.Impact StatementThese results should be used in nursing attitude change programmes, in intensive care units, and among nursing educators, focusing on increasing nurses' knowledge of the complexities of obesity. Further research on obese intensive care patients' healthcare experiences and the impact that healthcare providers' anti-fat attitudes and behaviours has on patients' perceived care quality is needed.© 2019 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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