title: Undergraduate, Female, Nutrition Students' Perceptions of Curricular Influence on Attitudes toward Individuals with Obesity.
abstract: This qualitative study, guided by a phenomenological approach, explored senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students' perceptions of how obesity and weight bias were addressed in the undergraduate curricula and how the curricula influenced their attitudes toward individuals with obesity.
  
  
  
  Twenty senior-level undergraduate, nutrition students from the University of Guelph participated in interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis entailed open, axial, and selective coding.
  
  
  
  Participants' sources of information about obesity in the curricula included nutrition courses, case studies, and non-nutrition courses. Regarding sources of information about weight bias in the curricula, they discussed nutrition courses, non-nutrition courses, and limited coverage of weight bias. Themes for curricular influence on attitudes toward people with obesity were increased knowledge of obesity, understanding the complexity of obesity, increased empathy toward individuals with obesity, and better ability to avoid stereotypes toward people with obesity.
  
  
  
  The perceptions among nutrition students varied regarding the amount and type of obesity and weight-bias information in the curricula, as well as the influence of the curricula on attitudes toward individuals with obesity, suggesting that obesity and weight bias warrant more coordinated coverage in the nutrition curricula.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
authors.forename: John J M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Dwyer
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mills
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON.
authors.forename: Jess
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001835:Body Weight; D003479:Curriculum; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D004046:Dietetics; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D064686:Nutritionists / Q000523:psychology; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology*; D009864:Ontario; D036301:Qualitative Research; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult