Recruiting

BRAVE Intervention

Sponsor:

Villanova University

Code:

NCT07334470

Conditions

Weight Bias

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 35

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Interventions

BRAVE

SOL: Standard Obesity Lecture

Study Details

Brief summary:

This randomized controlled trial will be a curriculum-embedded weight sensitivity training program. There will be two groups. The control group will receive the standard obesity lecture (SOL) and the intervention group will receive the BRAVE Intervention (BRAVE: Building Respect and Acceptance through Valuing Everybody); a Weight Bias Reduction (WBR) intervention. Both groups will have two simulation encounters with standardized patients who are living with obesity and the outcome will be to improve weight bias and increase weight sensitivity over one year. Participants will include second- and fourth-year nursing students. Two cohorts of nursing students will be recruited over two years during orientation for their NUR courses (n = 368); a combined total of 420 students are typically enrolled in these courses. Study participants will be randomized by 8-person simulation groups (clusters) to either the BRAVE intervention or SOL control group. They will then participate in the two simulation-based experiences and weight bias reduction education or standard obesity lecture, respectively, with a debriefing segment and educational components. To compare the efficacy of BRAVE groups to SOL groups in validated questionnaires will assess changing attitudes, beliefs, and clinical communication behaviors when comparing baseline to 3 months post-intervention, and one year after the intervention.

Conditions

Weight Bias

Study ID

NCT07334470

Start date

Jan 12, 2026

Status verified date

Jan, 2026

Completion date

May 20, 2028

Anticipated

Primary completion date

May 20, 2028

Anticipated

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

Sex: All

Age: 18 - 35

Healthy Volunteers: Not accepted

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Nursing students aged 18-35
  • Nursing students during their second or fourth year of the traditional or FLEX BSN undergraduate curriculum (in specified nursing courses)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Non-nursing students
  • Nursing students taking courses out of the normal curriculum sequence
  • Nursing students who are not of traditional undergraduate ages (18-35 years)
  • Students who decline to consent

Study Design

Enrollment

368 participants

Anticipated

Allocation

Randomized

Intervention Model

Parallel Assignment

Primary purpose

Treatment

Interventions and Outcome Measures

Arms

experimental: BRAVE Intervention

BRAVE (Building Respect and Acceptance through Valuing Everybody). Participants will receive two 30-minute Simulated Patients (SP) encounters: 1 at baseline (before the weight bias or obesity presentations) and one at 1.5 months after the initial education. The simulation encounters will include SPs living with higher body weight and will emphasize communication skills to prevent weight bias in the clinical environment. BRAVE arm will consist of two educational sessions focused on reducing weight bias in health care. Both BRAVE SP encounters will provide a Debriefing for Meaningful Learning segment tailored to focus on reducing weight bias.

placebo comparator: SOL

SOL (Standard Obesity Lecture). The control arm will experience two standard obesity lectures and two simulation encounters with standardized patients living with higher body weight. The control condition consists of two sessions, each of which includes a one-hour presentation on obesity. Both simulations will be followed by standard Debriefing for Meaningful Learning segments, but these segments will focus only on the medical conditions and risk factors of obesity and no feedback on communication skills will be provided.

Interventions

BRAVE

In addition to the two simulation encounters, the BRAVE arm will include an initial one-hour educational presentation on weight bias in health care; prevalence, and influences of weight bias on health/health care, factors affecting obesity, approaching weight-related discussions with patients with sensitivity and empathy, and effective communication strategies. Clinical communication behaviors will also be taught, such as asking permission, using non-stigmatizing language, and engaging in judgment-free weight-related discussions with patients. They will also have role-play and case-study scenarios to integrate and practice the communication strategies. Following the second simulation and DML, students in the BRAVE arm will participate in a continuation of the weight bias reduction education including concepts of Motivational Interviewing, Shared Decision Making, and weight management conversations to prevent weight bias in the clinical environment.

SOL: Standard Obesity Lecture

SOL: (Standard Obesity Lecture) SOL arm education will include a presentation on obesity as a disease, its prevalence, causes, health risks, psychological and socioeconomic impact, and a standard obesity assessment. Following the second simulation, students in the SOL groups will participate in a continuation of the standard obesity education to build on concepts from session 1. The second presentation will be a recap on weight management in clinical practice. Readings will focus on the medical consequences of obesity, and the economic cost of obesity. Both Debriefing for Meaningful Learning segments will focus on the disease itself and not include components of obesity or body weight.

Primary outcome measure

  • Attitudes Towards Higher Weight Persons (ATOP-HW) [ Time Frame: Baseline to 3 Months ]
  • Beliefs About Obese Persons Scale (BAOP) [ Time Frame: Baseline to 3 Months ]
  • SE-12 (Self-Efficacy) Scale [ Time Frame: Baseline to 3 Months ]

Central Contacts and Locations

Central contacts

Tracy L. Oliver, PhD, RDN, LDN

610-519-4917tracy.oliver@villanova.edu

Locations

Villanova University

Recruiting

Villanova, Pennsylvania, United States, 19085-1603

Contacts

Tracy Oliver, PhD, RDN, LDN

610-519-4917tracy.oliver@villanova.edu

Bette Mariani, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN

610-519-4933Bette.Mariani@villanova.edu

Principal Investigator:

Tracy L Oliver, PhD, RDN, LDN

More Information

Sponsor

Villanova University

Last update posted

Jul 17, 2026

Last verified

Jan, 2026

Keywords

  • weight bias
  • nursing education
  • obesity

Trial information was received from ClinicalTrials.gov and was last updated on 2026-09-08. This information was provided to ClinicalTrials.gov by Villanova University on 2026-07-17.