PD639 - BRIDGING THE GAP: EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNICATION IN OBESITY MANAGEMENT AMONG FAMILY DOCTORS, ENDOCRINOLOGISTS AND GASTROENTEROLOGISTS IN GEORGIA

PD639

BRIDGING THE GAP: EXPLORING KNOWLEDGE AND COMMUNICATION IN OBESITY MANAGEMENT AMONG FAMILY DOCTORS, ENDOCRINOLOGISTS AND GASTROENTEROLOGISTS IN GEORGIA

S. Goglidze^1,*, A. Laidlaw¹, J. Cecil²

¹School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition, University of Aberdeen , Aberdeen , ²School of Medicine , University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom

Rationale: Georgia lacks national obesity guidelines and dietetic training, relying on physicians who face an increasing burden of non-communicable diseases.

This study investigated knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Georgian healthcare professionals on obesity management

Methods: A cross-sectional online survey, adapted from the UK Communication on Overweight and Obesity Project (CO-OP) questionnaire, was conducted among family doctors, endocrinologists, and gastroenterologists in Georgia between July and August 2025. The survey comprised questions on demographics, knowledge, attitudes, stigma, and clinical practices. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, chi-square tests, ANOVA, and Kruskal-Wallis tests.

Results: Sixty-nine physicians participated, most of whom were female (92.8%) and based in Tbilisi (76.6%). Almost half were family doctors (47.8%), followed by endocrinologists (30.4%) and gastroenterologists (21.7%). Training was limited: 36.2% reported any bachelor-level education in obesity, 7.2% in behaviour change, and 1.4% in physical activity. Endocrinologists scored higher in knowledge than other groups (p = 0.005), while 19% of the total sample correctly identified national obesity prevalence. Attitudes were mostly positive, though pessimism about long-term healthy weight maintenance was greater among endocrinologists (p = 0.037).

Practices showed limited use of structured strategies: half reported motivational interviewing, while few referred to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) (12%) or weight-loss groups (15%). Main barriers included weak referral pathways, absent guidelines and time constraints.

Conclusion: Georgian physicians lack the specialized training and systemic support necessary for effective obesity management. Establishing national guidelines and multidisciplinary referral systems is critical.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared