Abstract
<jats:sec><jats:title>Objectives</jats:title><jats:p>People with obesity experience a range of physical and psychological ill‐health outcomes. This study examined patients’ experiences of a group‐based programme for the management of morbid obesity delivered within the <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">UK</jats:styled-content> National Health Service. The focus of the study was on the emerging dynamic of the group and patients’ perceptions of its impact on health outcomes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Design</jats:title><jats:p>A qualitative interview study was conducted and involved patients recruited from a Tier 3 bariatric service in South West England. Verbatim transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Twenty patients (12 females) with a <jats:styled-content style="fixed-case">BMI</jats:styled-content> ≥ 35 kg/m<jats:sup>2</jats:sup> participated in a semi‐structured one‐to‐one interview. Participants had been registered with the bariatric service for at least 6 months. None of the participants had had bariatric surgery.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Most participants felt that they had benefited from participating in the group programme and talked about the group as a resource for lifestyle change. Participants’ narratives centred on the emergence of a sense of self based upon their participation in the group: establishing <jats:italic>psychological connections</jats:italic> to other patients, or shared social identity, was regarded as a key mechanism through which the programme's <jats:italic>educational material</jats:italic> was accessed, and underpinned the experience of <jats:italic>social support</jats:italic> within the group. Through interaction with other patients, involving the sharing of personal experiences and challenges, participants came to experience their weight ‘problem’ through a collective lens that they felt empowered them to initiate and sustain <jats:italic>individual lifestyle change</jats:italic>.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Discussion</jats:title><jats:p>Bariatric care groups have the potential to support lifestyle change and weight loss and may help address the psychological needs of patients. Nurturing a sense of shared social identity amongst patients with morbid obesity should be a core aim of the care pathway and may provide the foundation for successful translation of dietetic content in group programmes.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:label /><jats:p>
<jats:boxed-text content-type="box" position="anchor"><jats:caption><jats:title>Statement of contribution</jats:title></jats:caption><jats:p>
<jats:italic>
<jats:bold>What is already known on this subject?</jats:bold>
</jats:italic>
</jats:p><jats:p>
<jats:list list-type="bullet">
<jats:list-item><jats:p>Services for people with obesity who require specialist care are often supported by group‐based bariatric programmes.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
<jats:list-item><jats:p>There are no specific guidelines for the organization of bariatric groups beyond the recommendation for lifestyle interventions delivered by a multidisciplinary care team.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
<jats:list-item><jats:p>Research with other health conditions suggests that the psychological connections formed between participants in bariatric programmes may play an important role in structuring programme effectiveness.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
</jats:list>
</jats:p><jats:p>
<jats:italic>
<jats:bold>What does this study add?</jats:bold>
</jats:italic>
</jats:p><jats:p>
<jats:list list-type="bullet">
<jats:list-item><jats:p>Establishing psychological connections with other patients underpins bariatric patients’ group experience.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
<jats:list-item><jats:p>Shared social identity structures behaviour change in patients on bariatric programmes.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
<jats:list-item><jats:p>Nurturing shared social identity should be a core aim of the bariatric care pathway.</jats:p></jats:list-item>
</jats:list>
</jats:p></jats:boxed-text>
</jats:p></jats:sec>
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 77-93 |
Number of pages | 0 |
Journal | British Journal of Health Psychology |
Volume | 22 |
Issue number | 1 |
Early online date | 17 Nov 2016 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Feb 2017 |