Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
Department of Nutrition, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH, USA.
BMC Med Educ. 2024 Jun 7;24(1):639. doi: 10.1186/s12909-024-05606-9.
This study aimed to (1) evaluate the current status of obesity education at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine (CWRU) (2), introduce a comprehensive first-year curriculum on obesity, and (3) assess the impact of the curriculum on self-reported attitudes and knowledge regarding obesity among first-year medical students.
The preclinical curriculum at CWRU was reviewed to determine the degree of coverage of Obesity Medicine Education Collaborative (OMEC) competencies for healthcare professionals, and recommendations were provided for revising the curriculum to better adhere to these evidence-based competencies. A survey on obesity attitudes and knowledge was given before and after the implementation of the new curriculum to measure intervention-related changes. Changes in obesity attitudes and knowledge were compared (1) before and after the intervention for the class of 2025 and (2) after the intervention for the class of 2025 to a historical cohort that did not receive the intervention.
Among the 27 competencies examined in the audit, 55% were unmet and 41% were partially met. Of 186 first-year medical students (M1s), 29 (16%) completed the baseline survey and 26 (14%) completed the post-intervention survey. Following the intervention, there was a notable improvement in attitudes and knowledge regarding obesity. Specifically, there was a significant decrease in the belief that obesity is caused by poor personal choices, and knowledge of obesity in fourteen out of fifteen areas showed significant improvement from pre- to post-intervention. Additionally, obesity attitudes and knowledge were significantly better post-intervention when compared to the historical cohort.
The improvements made to the preclinical curriculum through this project improved obesity attitudes and knowledge among first-year medical students. This method provides a practical approach for evaluating and enhancing obesity education in medical school curricula.
本研究旨在：(1) 评估凯斯西储大学医学院（CWRU）肥胖教育的现状；(2) 介绍一个全面的肥胖第一年课程；(3) 评估该课程对一年级医学生肥胖相关态度和知识的影响。
审查了 CWRU 的临床前课程，以确定医疗保健专业人员肥胖医学教育协作组织（OMEC）能力的涵盖程度，并为修改课程以更好地遵守这些基于证据的能力提供了建议。在实施新课程前后，对肥胖态度和知识进行了调查，以衡量干预相关的变化。比较了肥胖态度和知识的变化：(1) 2025 级学生在干预前后的变化；(2) 2025 级学生在干预后的变化与未接受干预的历史队列的变化。
在审计中检查的 27 项能力中，55%未得到满足，41%部分得到满足。在 186 名一年级医学生（M1）中，29 名（16%）完成了基线调查，26 名（14%）完成了干预后调查。干预后，肥胖相关态度和知识有了显著改善。具体来说，对肥胖是由个人选择不佳引起的信念明显下降，在十五个领域中的十四个领域，肥胖知识从干预前到干预后都有显著提高。此外，与历史队列相比，干预后肥胖态度和知识明显更好。
通过该项目对临床前课程进行的改进提高了一年级医学生对肥胖的态度和知识。这种方法为评估和加强医学院校课程中的肥胖教育提供了一种实用方法。
