Barriers and facilitators of weight management in overweight and obese individuals: a qualitative study using the CFIR framework

Obesity is a major global health issue linked to chronic diseases. Maintaining a healthy body weight is an effective measure for preventing related disease but often faces implementation challenges. This qualitative study aims to identify facilitators and barriers to weight management among overweight and obese individuals, in order to support the development of more effective implementation strategies. Design and Methods: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted. Participants were recruited via convenience sampling from the Health Management Department of a public general hospital in Foshan City, including overweight/obese patients meeting inclusion criteria and healthcare providers from General Practice, Health Management, and Endocrinology departments. Directed content analysis, guided by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR), was employed, allowing for both predefined and emergent themes. Interview data were managed using NVivo 12.0 and analyzed thematically based on the CFIR framework. Results: A total of 18 healthcare providers and 15 patients were interviewed. Data saturation was determined to have been reached for each group respectively, when the last three consecutive interviews yielded no new themes. Analysis identified 9 facilitators, 6 neutral factors, and 24 barriers, which were mapped onto the CFIR domains. Conclusion: Weight management in overweight and obese individuals is influenced by multiple factors. Categorization using the five CFIR domains revealed that barriers were predominantly concentrated within the Inner Setting and Individual Characteristics domains. Therefore, it is recommended that weight management practices and research develop personalized intervention strategies tailored to the specific barriers patients encounter. Enhancing patients’ self-efficacy and adherence is crucial. This study provides multi-faceted strategic insights to promote the effective implementation of evidence-based weight management practices.