Experiences of barriers and facilitators to weight-loss in a diet intervention : a qualitative study of women in Northern Sweden
BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research about the experiences of participating in weight-reducing interventions. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to weight-loss experienced by participants in a diet intervention for middle-aged to older women in the general population i...
Published in: | BMC Women's Health |
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Main Authors: | , , , , |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Umeå universitet, Allmänmedicin
2014
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Subjects: | |
Online Access: | http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:umu:diva-89223 https://doi.org/10.1186/1472-6874-14-59 |
Summary: | BACKGROUND: There is a lack of research about the experiences of participating in weight-reducing interventions. The aim of this study was to explore barriers and facilitators to weight-loss experienced by participants in a diet intervention for middle-aged to older women in the general population in Northern Sweden. METHOD: In the intervention the women were randomised to eat either a Palaeolithic-type diet or a diet according to Nordic Nutrition recommendations for 24 months. A strategic selection was made of women from the two intervention groups as well as from the drop-outs in relation to social class, civil status and age. Thematic structured interviews were performed with twelve women and analysed with qualitative content analyses. RESULTS: The results showed that the women in the dietary intervention experienced two main barriers - struggling with self (related to difficulties in changing food habits, health problems, lack of self-control and insecurity) and struggling with implementing the diet (related to social relations and project-related difficulties) - and two main facilitators- striving for self-determination (related to having clear goals) and receiving support (from family/friends as well as from the project) - for weight-loss. There was a greater emphasis on barriers than on facilitators. CONCLUSION: It is important to also include drop-outs from diet interventions in order to fully understand barriers to weight-loss. A gender-relational approach can bring new insights into understanding experiences of barriers to weight-loss. |
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