Abstract
Background: Current treatments for people with obesity emphasise the need for person-centred approaches that consider complex biopsychosocial factors and value the lived experience of people when attempting to lose weight. Methods: Narrative interviews (n = 20) were conducted with people living with obesity to explore the causes of their weight gain and their expectations and engagement with treatment at a Weight Management Clinic. A mixed inductive and deductive qualitative analysis identified utterances that represented psychological constructs used to understand self-appraisal and health behaviour. A narrative analysis was used to situate these findings in the context of a participant’s life story. Results: Locus of control was a dominant construct evidenced through a person’s attributional style and self-efficacy. Transcripts represented a heightened sense of self-understanding and shifts in control, and styles of attribution and efficacy resulted in either stasis or self-actualisation. The Stages of Change model could be applied to narratives to ascertain a patient’s motivation to access treatment. Importantly, narrative interviews also allowed for the consideration of how a person’s systemic context influenced their weight. Conclusion: Narrative interaction supports both self- and shared understandings of the causes and consequences of obesity for individuals, in a non-blaming or shaming manner. It provides an opportunity to enhance engagement through tailored, person-centred treatments.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 747 |
Journal | Healthcare (Switzerland) |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 7 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 29 Mar 2024 |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Leadership and Management
- Health Policy
- Health Informatics
- Health Information Management
Keywords
- attribution style
- locus of control
- motivation
- narrative elicitation
- narrative-based medicine
- obesity
- self-efficacy
- stages of change
- transtheoretical model
- weight management