The Relationship Between the Attributions of the Causes of Obesity, Contact and Attitudes Towards Obese People in Medical Students

The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between the attributions of obesity and attitudes towards obese people in medical students and to examine whether the frequency and quality of contact with obese people moderates this relationship. The study involved 360 medical students, 261 female students and 96 male students, with an average age of 21.88 (SD = 2.12) years. The survey was online, and the participants filled out questions related to demographics, the causes of obesity scale, anti-fat attitudes scale, as well as questions about the frequency and quality of contact with obese people. The obtained results show that the attribution of the cause of obesity by internal factors is associated with more negative attitudes towards obese people. More frequent and high-quality contacts are associated with more positive attitudes towards obese people. No significant interactions were obtained between attributions of causes of obesity and contact on the attitudes towards obese people. The obtained results are commented in the context of the effects that students' negative attitudes have on obese people and the importance of contact in reducing these negative attitudes.