Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38229563›Full record

SynthesisPrimary health care research & development2024

Healthcare professionals' perceptions and experiences of obesity and overweight and its management in primary care settings: a qualitative systematic review.

Laura Jeffers, Jillian Manner, Ruth Jepson, John McAteer

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Primary health care research & development, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 19 papers, 3 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
19citing papers in PubMed, 3 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

19 citing papers in PubMed, 3 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Structural weight stigma in healthcare toward preconception, pregnant, and postpartum women: A systematic review.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2025
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  5. The Influence of Relationships Within Behavioral Weight Management Interventions: An Overview.Obesity reviews : an official journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity · 2026
    Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Laura JeffersScottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-7735-6679
Jillian MannerScottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0003-4411-5056
Ruth JepsonScottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-9446-445X
John McAteerScottish Collaboration for Public Health Research and Policy, School of Health in Social Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.ORCID 0000-0001-8913-6219

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

aimThis qualitative systematic review aimed to synthesise existing qualitative research on HCPs' perceptions and experiences of obesity and its management in primary care settings.

backgroundHealthcare professionals (HCPs), particularly those in primary care, play a key role in policy implementation around weight management. Overweight and obese individuals are subject to weight stigma which has negative health consequences and reduces the likelihood of healthcare service usage. An understanding of HCPs' perceptions of obesity and weight management in primary care is necessary for the development and delivery of effective initiatives.

methodsA search strategy developed using the SPIDER framework was applied to Medline and CINAHL databases. Inclusion criteria were applied, and quality assessment was undertaken using the CASP framework. Fifteen papers meeting the inclusion criteria were analysed thematically.

findingsFour themes were identified: conflicting discourses surrounding obesity, medicalisation of obesity, organisational factors, and lack of patient knowledge and motivation. Conflicting discourses around obesity refers to the differing views of HCPs regarding what it means to have and treat obesity. Medicalisation of obesity considers whether obesity should be treated as a medical condition. Organisational factors were identified as knowledge, resources and time that affected HCPs' ability to provide care to overweight or obese. Finally, the review discovered that patients required their own knowledge and motivation to lose weight. This review has highlighted the need to provide safe, non-judgemental spaces for HCPs and patients to discuss weight and weight loss. This is essential to the therapeutic relationship and the provision of effective obesity management.

Indexed as

ObesityOverweightDelivery of Health CareHealth PersonnelHumansPrimary Health CareQualitative ResearchWeight Losshealthcare professionalsobesityqualitative researchstigmasystematic reviewtherapeutic relationship

Identifiers

PMID38229563
PMCPMC11077507

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.