WP24/01: Weight bias and experiences accessing medical care in Aotearoa New Zealand
Designation
Working Paper 24/01
Proposed authors
Kelvin Xiao
Olivia Rowe
Supervisors
Barry Milne
Natalia Boven
Concept
This summer research project analysed data from the New Zealand arm of the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP) module on Health and Healthcare. The key aim was to test whether satisfaction, trust, and confidence in the New Zealand health system are related to body mass index (BMI), a crude measure of body fat that is commonly used in both clinical and research settings.
Previous qualitative research has demonstrated that larger individuals commonly report encountering weight bias when accessing healthcare both in Aotearoa New Zealand and internationally, which can lead to both inadequate care and patients delaying seeking healthcare. However, there is little quantitative research in this area in Aotearoa New Zealand.
Data sources
Social Attitudes Survey New Zealand 2022: Health & Healthcare – New Zealand's efforts towards the International Social Survey Programme for 2021, delayed into 2022 by COVID lockdowns.