OSE4ALL

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Obesity Stigma Education for All

A research programme to co-design an inter-professional e-Learning resource

to support destigmatisation of obesity among healthcare professionals.

Improving healthcare for people with obesity by educating healthcare professionals.

(opens in a new window)RESULTS OF The ACTION IRELAND STUDY

About the programme
Collaborators
Meet the team
ACTION Ireland Survey
Published research / resources
Privacy policy
News and events
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Contact us

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About the Programme

Knowledge users and researchers together to conduct research that address a specific need within the Irish health or social care system.

This is a Health Research Board of Ireland funded Applied Partnership Award (APA), awarded in 2023 for a two-year programme of research beginning March 2024 and ending February 2026.

This research recognises that obesity is a chronic progressive disease of enormous national and global significance. Weight stigmatisation results in significantly poorer overall treatment outcomes for people with obesity. Notably these poorer outcomes are associated with stigmatisation more so than obesity itself, highlighting the importance of tackling weight stigma and its causes amongst healthcare professionals.

The OSE4ALL programme seeks to support obesity destigmatisation in healthcare by co-designing an evidence-based e-learning resource for healthcare professionals in collaboration with people with obesity which will equip healthcare professionals, students and educators with knowledge and skills to recognise and address weight bias in healthcare and thereby improve patient care and outcomes for people living with obesity.

The OSE4ALL partnership includes people living with obesity as core partners, and senior interdisciplinary academics and clinicians from a range of backgrounds to provide an appropriate blend of expert programme management, knowledge and support to co-design an e-learning resource, and the opportunity to embed the resource in national graduate and undergraduate national curricula and continuing professional development.

This programme will develop a cost effective and easily accessible interdisciplinary e-learning resource which can equip healthcare professionals, students and educators with the necessary knowledge and skills to support effective care of people living with obesity.

It is supported by national partners, experienced interdisciplinary obesity academic researchers, clinicians, people living with obesity and educators.

(opens in a new window)https://www.hrb.ie/

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Collaborators

Collage of logos

(opens in a new window)https://asoi.info/

(opens in a new window)https://icpobesity.org/

(opens in a new window)https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/

(opens in a new window)https://www.ucc.ie/en/

https://www.ucd.ie/

(opens in a new window)https://www.rcsi.com/dublin/

(opens in a new window)https://www.universityofgalway.ie/

(opens in a new window)https://www.dcu.ie/

(opens in a new window)https://www.ul.ie/

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Meet the Team

Principal investigator (opens in a new window)Dr Gráinne O’Donoghue
Clinical lead Dr Jean O'Connell
Project manager Dr Fiona Curran

Programme Management Board

Dr Jean O'Connell
Dr Gráinne O’Donoghue

Scientific Advisory Group / Public Patient Involvement

Sarah Browne - UCD
Michael Crotty - GP
Karen Gaynor - HSE
James Matthews - UCD
Deirdre O'Donnell - UCD
Leona Ryan - UCG
Fiona McGillicuddy - UCD
Susie Birney - ICPO
Caitriona Cunningham - UCD

Collaborators

Sarah O'Brien - HSE
Donal O'Shea - HSE
Suzanne Seery - HSE
Sinead McMahon - UCD
Audrey Tierney - UL
Ita Fitzgerald - RCSI
Majella O'Keefe - UCC
Manigindan Chockalingam - UCG

Partners

(opens in a new window)https://asoi.info/

(opens in a new window)https://icpobesity.org/

(opens in a new window)https://www.hse.ie/eng/about/who/healthwellbeing/

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ACTION Ireland Survey

ACTION IRELAND logo While the science of obesity is rapidly advancing, providing equitable care for the increasing population of people living with obesity can be challenging to all healthcare professionals. Obesity stigma directly affects the health and quality of life outcomes for people living with obesity. The Awareness, Care, and Treatment In Obesity maNagement (ACTION) Ireland HCP survey, seeks to identify healthcare professionals (HCPs) knowledge, perceptions, and attitudes about obesity and to assess the potential barriers to effective obesity care in the Irish context. The survey was previously conducted in 11 countries globally among doctors and people living with obesity.

The ACTION Ireland Study provides the first national dataset of People living with Obesity and Healthcare Professionals. The surveys were completed by 159 HCPs from the 8 healthcare disciplines named in the Irish Model of Care for Obesity and a national representative sample of over 500 people living with obesity. The results are published in Obesity Pillars and contribute to the development of the Obesity Stigma Education Resource for HCPS. Thank you to all our participants.

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