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Completed

NCT Number: NCT04161638

Weight Stigma in Women Who Are Obese: Assessing How an Acute Exposure to Stigma Negatively Impacts Cardiovascular Health

The current study examined the influence of an acute weight stigma exposure on cardiovascular reactivity among women with obesity and high blood pressure and women with obesity and normal blood pressure.

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Key information

Conditions

Stigma, Social Behavior Blood Pressure Body Weight Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factor Nutrition Disorders Nutritional and Metabolic Diseases Obesity Overnutrition Overweight Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms Signs and Symptoms Social Behavior Social Stigma

Age range

20 year–50 year

Sex eligibility

Female

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

About this study

The current study examined the influence of two video exposures, one containing scenes of weight stigma (STIGMA) and the other non-stigmatizing neutral (NEUTRAL) scenes, on cardiovascular reactivity as assessed by resting BP and ambulatory blood pressure (ABP) and heart rate (HR), among women with obesity and high BP (HBP) or normal BP (NBP). The investigators hypothesized that as a result of STIGMA compared to NEUTRAL, cardiovascular reactivity would be significantly greater immediately upon watching the video and persist outside of the laboratory over ambulatory conditions in women with obesity and HBP compared to women with obesity and NBP.

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: Yes

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Premenopausal
  • BMI > 30 kg/m2
  • No other known chronic cardiovascular or metabolic diseases besides hypertension

Exclusion criteria

  • Pregnant or planned on becoming pregnant
  • Took medications that may have affected the primary outcome of BP (e.g., stimulants for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or steroids for asthma)
  • Currently using tobacco products
  • Diagnosed with an eating disorder

Treatment and study plan

Stigma Video Exposure

Behavioral

The participants watched a 10 minute video on a computer screen that consisted of brief clips from popular television shows that depicted women with overweight and obesity and evoked negative weight-based stereotypes (e.g., clumsy, loud, and lazy). Both the high blood pressure and normal blood pressure arms participated in this intervention.

Other names: STIGMA

Neutral video exposure

Behavioral

The participants watched a 10 minute video on a computer screen that consisted of a series of clips depicting neutral scenes (e.g., insurance commercials). Both the high blood pressure and normal blood pressure arms participated in this intervention.

Other names: NEUTRAL

Primary outcomes

  1. Ambulatory systolic BP (SABP) reactivity

    Time frame: 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep)

    Ambulatory SABP reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly SABP values (mmHg) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline SABP following STIGMA and NEUTRAL.

Secondary outcomes

  1. Laboratory systolic blood pressure (SBP) reactivity

    Time frame: 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals).

    Laboratory SBP reactivity was calculated as the change in SBP in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline SBP.

  2. Ambulatory diastolic BP (DABP) reactivity

    Time frame: 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep)

    Ambulatory DABP reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly DABP values (mmHg) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline DABP following STIGMA and NEUTRAL.

  3. Laboratory diastolic blood pressure (DBP) reactivity

    Time frame: 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals).

    Laboratory DBP reactivity was calculated as the change in DBP in millimeters of mercury (mmHg) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline DBP.

  4. Laboratory heart rate (HR) reactivity

    Time frame: 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals).

    Laboratory HR reactivity was calculated as the change in HR in beats per minute (bpm) during the stigma video exposure (STIGMA) and the neutral video exposure (NEUTRAL) and 20-minute post-STIGMA and NEUTRAL minus baseline BP.

  5. Ambulatory heart rate (HR) reactivity

    Time frame: 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep)

    Ambulatory heart rate (HR) reactivity was calculated as the change in hourly HR values (bpm) over the awake (10 hours), sleep (9 hours), and 19 hours minus average baseline HR following STIGMA and NEUTRAL.

  6. Ambulatory rate pressure product (RPP) reactivity

    Time frame: 19 hours (10 hours awake, 9 hours sleep)

    Ambulatory RPP reactivity in mmHg*bpm was calculated as ambulatory SBP cardiovascular reactivity (mmHg) multiplied by ambulatory HR reactivity (bpm) (i.e., SBP x HR).

  7. Laboratory rate pressure product (RPP) reactivity

    Time frame: 20 minutes (2 minute intervals) before the exposure video; 10 minutes during the exposure video (2 min intervals); and 20 minutes following the exposure video (2 min. intervals).

    Laboratory RPP reactivity in mmHg*bpm was calculated as laboratory SBP cardiovascular reactivity (mmHg) multiplied by laboratory HR reactivity (bpm) (i.e., SBP x HR).

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

University of Connecticut

Other

Collaborators

  • Hartford Hospital

Registry information

Important dates

Study start
2016
Primary completion
2019
Study completion
2019
First posted
Nov 13, 2019
Registry last updated
May 25, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

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