Piloting professional development in health education for BEd students: A call to action

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Loren McDowell
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1 Piloting professional development in health education for BEd students: A call to action Dr. Angela Alberga, Postdoctoral Fellow Ms. Michelle Tkachuk, MSc student Body Image Research Lab, Educational Studies in Counselling Psychology, Werklund School of Education Dr. Shelly Russell-Mayhew, Ms. Alana Ireland Mr. Gavin Peat, Ms. Kerri Murray, Dr. Tina Gabriele

2012) Bias, stigma & discrimination against people who have obesity 2009)

2 Prevalence Background Children in Canada Overweight: 19.4% boys, 20.2% girls Obesity: 15.1% boys, 8.0% girls (Roberts et al. 2012) Bias, stigma & discrimination against people who have obesity 2009) Regarded as the last socially acceptable form of discrimination (Puhl & Brownell, 2001; Watts & Cranney

3 Background Adolescents (of all weights) report that they see weight bias happening at school more often than in other settings (Puhl, Neumark-Sztainer, Austin, & King, 2014) Adults describe parents and teachers as the most frequent source of weight bias (Puhl et al., 2008)

4 Background Weight bias/stigma: [...] negative weight related attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and judgments toward individuals who are overweight & obese [ ] (Washington, 2011, p.1) A preconceived adverse judgment or opinion targeted at individuals perceived as fat Weight discrimination: Behavioral manifestation of weight bias (actions taken based upon bias)

5 Background Can be subtle, overt, verbal, physical or relational: 1. Verbal teasing (e.g., name calling, derogatory remarks, being made fun of) 2. Physical bullying and aggression (e.g., hitting, kicking, pushing, shoving) 3. Relational victimization (e.g., social exclusion, being ignored or avoided, the target of rumors). (Puhl & Brownell, Weight bias in Health Care Settings. Rudd Center For Food Policy & Obesity. Yale University. Notes.pdf)

6 Background Weight bias in education Teachers Health & education professionals hold more anti-fat bias than the general public (Puhl & Heuer 2009) Regard students who have overweight/ obesity as: Untidy, lazy, more emotional, less likely to succeed at work, less intelligent & have lower expectations of them (Walter et al. 2013, Puhl, 2011)

7 Consequences of weight bias Puhl & Heuer, 2010; Puhl & Heuer, 2009; Modified from Provincial Health Services Authority, 2013

8 Background Obesity Unhealthy behaviors Health impact Healthcare avoidance Health care Weight bias Modified from Rudd Center

9 Background Health training for teachers? Document review document review of course descriptions in the top 10 research universities in Canada; 880 course descriptions were examined Weight was not addressed

Background 2012-2013 Professional Development 30 BEd students at the University of Calgary received a 3-hour

10 Background Professional Development 30 BEd students at the University of Calgary received a 3-hour professional development workshop Weight bias (Anti-Fat Attitudes Scale, Implicit Association Test) (Russell-Mayhew et al. 2012)

11 Objective To evaluate a professional development workshop entitled Health Champions Conference on personal attitudes about body weight & health in students enrolled in a B.Ed. program in Alberta, Canada.

12 Methods Participants 62 B.Ed. students University of Calgary Health Champions conference 2 day PD workshop Interdisciplinary group of professionals and community partners School health & crosscurricular applications for all future teachers

13 Health Champions 2-day Conference January 9-10, 2014 Session Topic Body Image Physical Literacy Mental Health Comprehensive School Health Emphasis Media, thin ideal, weight bias, body satisfaction, selfcompassion Benefits of movement & how to incorporate it daily in classrooms Eating disorders, depression, & teachers roles in mental health Four pillar approach and application in practice, pivotal role of teachers

14 Community Partners Resource Fair

15 Methods Surveys Measures Baseline & follow-up after the 2-day health workshop: Body Satisfaction Scale Anti-fat Attitudes Scale Implicit Attitudes Scale Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale Weight change behaviors

16 Results After the workshop: self-efficacy explicit & implicit anti-fat attitudes

17 Results Measure Significance Body Satisfaction Scale.120 Self Efficacy Scale.001 Anti-Fat Attitudes Questionnaire.001 Implicit Association Test.001

18 Discussion After a 2-day workshop, pre-service teachers: Confidence to teach health, physical education, & weight-related curriculum to their students Implicit and explicit weight-bias attitudes Supports the utility of professional development interventions for pre-service teachers in the area of health & weight

19 Recommendations Health education: a fundamental gap in teachers in training Not exposed to health education curriculum yet are expected to contribute to school wellness once employed in school communities Professional development about body image, weight bias, physical and mental health may be important to promote & improve attitudes towards health amongst teachers in training Addressing the current gap in teacher preparation may influence teachers' confidence and competency in addressing health in schools

21 Future research directions Health education: Shift training curricula to provide the necessary understanding of obesity (Brown & Flint, 2013; Freedhoff et al., 2013) Examine curricula across Canada B.Ed. course development

22 Future research directions Impact assessments: Evaluate professional development about health & physical activity Evaluate the relationship between in-service teachers health & weight-related beliefs and behaviours & their students

Thank you Dr. Angela Alberga aalberga@ucalgary.ca Dr.

Michelle Tkachuk tkachuk.michelle@gmail.com Ms. Alana Ireland Mr.

23 Thank you Dr. Angela Alberga Dr. Shelly Russell-Mayhew Ms. Michelle Tkachuk Ms. Alana Ireland Mr. Gavin Peat Ms. Kerri Murray Dr. Tina Gabriele Werklund School of Education Faculty of Kinesiology EverActive Schools

25 EXTRA SLIDES

26 Weight Bias: Causes Weight bias = how much an individual has bought into social standards of attractiveness (Vartanian and Novak, 2011) Media messages: Body shape and weight are flexible and within the sole control of the individual (Thompson et al., 1999) Fat Talk (Clarke, Murnen, & Smolak, 2010) Internalization of social standards of thinness associated with weight bias (Klaczynski, Daniel, & Keller, 2009; Nutter & Russell- Mayhew, 2014, unpublished thesis)

Weight Bias in Education Bryn Mawr Sorry After Fat- Shaming Weight-Loss Emails Sent to Students With

27 Weight Bias in Education Bryn Mawr Sorry After Fat- Shaming Weight-Loss s Sent to Students With High BMIs The Huffington Post The 10-minute mile Requirement for 6 th grade physical education class

28 Stop the War on Weight Good intentions may actually be harmful Confusing, contradictory, or inconsistent messages How do you push the active living thing and at the same time do the body image thing? It s okay to be who you are, you know? How do you get around that? I have no answer. (Elementary teacher; Russell-Mayhew, Arthur & Ewashen, 2008)

Practical Ways to Reduce Weight Bias We must STOP: Discussing healthy weights without consideration of diversity Sensitivity when considering taking a weight measurement Displaying individuals

29 Practical Ways to Reduce Weight Bias We must STOP: Discussing healthy weights without consideration of diversity Sensitivity when considering taking a weight measurement Displaying individuals weights (McVey, Gusella, Tweed, & Ferrari, 2009) Literature with negative weight-bias and thin-ideal messages (e.g., magazines in waiting room, school textbooks; Glessner, Hoover, & Hazlett, 2006) Laughing at fat jokes, step in

30 Practical Ways to Reduce Weight Bias We must START to: Raise awareness about the complexity of obesity Question personal assumptions about body size & shape Emphasize HEALTH & quality of life not weight Expand skills & competencies beyond healthy eating and physical activity (not just oversimplified policy and practice that really equates to eat less and exercise more ) Eliminate weight bias messages/ resources & environmental surroundings (i.e., include larger-sized chairs and desks, gym uniforms etc.) Consider it a social justice issue - cannot discriminate based on race, gender, ability - why is it acceptable to discriminate based on weight?

Understanding Eating Disorders in the School Setting

Understanding Eating Disorders in the School Setting Let s Talk Eating Disorders Educational Program Funded by the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Health and Community Services Eating