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Table 1 Medical student self-perceived competence questionnaire

From: A Canadian survey of medical students and undergraduate deans on the management of patients living with obesity

Qu #

Questions. I can…

M (SD)

2

Determine body mass index (BMI) from weight and height measurements

3.59 (0.63)

3

Assess diet for common unhealthy behaviours associated with obesity (e.g. sweetened beverages, nutritional quality of snacks, frequent meals from fast food restaurants, etc.)

3.00 (0.74)

9

Assess current level of physical activity and provide guidance for setting physical activity goals for optimal health

2.90 (0.79)

11

Prescribe plan for exercise / physical activity

2.60 (0.87)

4

Ascertain each patient’s readiness and ability to work on weight loss according to health beliefs and stage of change

2.52 (0.76)

6

Take a targeted history and conduct a physical examination to identify common co-morbidities (e.g. arthritis, diabetes, PCOS…)

2.44 (0.76)

7

Discuss the effect of obesity on present and future health and personalize risk to each patient

2.40 (0.74)

10

Assist patient in setting realistic goals for weight loss based on making permanent lifestyle changes

2.38 (0.82)

14

Recognize and refer patients with eating disorders

2.34 (0.73)

5

Recognize and screen for common psychosocial problems in obese patients including depression, emotional eating, and binge eating

2.34 (0.77)

15

Collaborate with registered dieticians and refer to community nutrition resources when appropriate

2.34 (0.84)

12

Use motivational interviewing to change behaviour

2.32 (0.83)

1

Use 24-hour recall, food record, or food frequency to obtain diet history

2.24 (0.83)

13

Provide brief counseling intervention to help patient lose weight

2.18 (0.81)

8

Respond to a patient’s questions regarding treatment options including behaviour change, medications, and surgery

2.11 (0.71)

  1. Scores show Mean (M) and Standard Deviation (SD) for all responses (n = 180). Questions were scored on a 1–4 likert scale: 1 – “Know very little about and not able to perform”; 2 – “Know something about and somewhat able to perform”; 3 - “Able to perform well”; 4 – “Able to teach others how to perform”. Questionnaire adapted from Do Internists, Pediatricians, and Psychiatrists Feel Competent in Obesity Care?, by Jay et al. (2008) [13]