Br J Gen Pract 2006; 56: 666-72
Brown I, Thompson J, Tod A et al.
BACKGROUND: Obesity has become a major public health issue and there is concern about the response of health services to patients who are obese. The perceptions of obese patients using primary care services have not been studied in depth. This study from Sheffield aimed to explore obese patients' experiences and perceptions of support in primary care. A qualitative study design with semi-structured interviews conducted in participants' homes was used.
SETTING: Five general practices contrasting in socio-economic populations in Sheffield.
METHOD: Purposive sampling and semi-structured interviewing of 28 patients with a diverse range of ages, backgrounds, levels of obesity and experiences of primary care services.
RESULTS: Participants typically felt reluctance when presenting with concerns about weight and ambivalence about the services received. They also perceived there to be ambivalence and a lack of resources on the part of the health services. Participants showed a strong sense of personal responsibility about their condition and stigma-related thoughts were common. These contributed to their ambivalence about using services and their sensitivity to its features. Good relationships with primary care professionals and more intensive support partly ameliorated these effects. (Emphasis added).
CONCLUSION: The challenges of improving access to and quality of primary care support in tackling obesity are made more complex by patients' ambivalence and other effects of the stigma associated with obesity.
A key feature of the Healthier Weight Centre approach is the building of a relationship between the health educator and supervising healthcare professional and the patient group through weekly consultation with the same nurse/doctor and health educator.
