Acceptance among the public of weight screening and interventions delivered by dental professionals: observational study

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore the acceptability to the public of receiving weight screening and the offer of support to lose weight from dental teams.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with recruitment of adults from dental practices and community and hospital settings in England and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Be Part of Research initiative.

Results: A total of 3580 participants were recruited across 22 dental sites and the NIHR Be Part of Research initiative. Sixty percent (n = 2055/3430) of participants reported that they would be comfortable with their height and weight being measured at a dental appointment. Male participants and those of non-White race and ethnicity had significantly increased odds of accepting weight screening (odds ratio [OR]: 1.98, 95% CI: 1.66–2.36; OR: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.42–3.03). Fifty-seven percent (n = 1915/3375) of participants reported that it would be acceptable for their dental team to offer support to help with weight management. Male participants and those of non-White race and ethnicity had significantly increased odds of accepting support (OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.49–2.13; OR: 1.62, 95% CI: 1.11–2.37). The most accepted form of support was provision of information on local weight-management programs (n = 1989/2379, 83.6%).

Conclusions: The public is largely receptive to receiving weight screening and the offer of weight interventions from dental teams. Feasibility studies to test the implementation of lifestyle weight interventions in dental settings are required.