Behavioral weight loss interventions in college health centers: A qualitative analysis of barriers and facilitators to implementation.

Abstract

Background: Emerging adults are underrepresented in standard behavioral weight loss interventions (BWLIs). Offering BWLIs in college health centers may help to address obesity in emerging adulthood by reducing student barriers associated with participation; however, implementation barriers and facilitators for health centers are unknown.

Methods: Health services center administrators and providers (n = 14) and students eligible to participate in a BWLI (n = 9, average BMI = 29.8 ± 4.2 kg/m²) participated in semi-structured interviews. Interviews focused on the need for and appropriateness of BWLIs in health centers and perceived barriers and facilitators to their implementation.

Results: Participants generally believed that BWLIs delivered through a health center were appropriate and indicated that BWLIs would be a beneficial offering on-campus. Facilitators of health center implementation included availability of trained health professionals, intradepartmental relationships, supportive infrastructure and resources, and in-house planning and execution. Barriers included limited student use and knowledge of health center offerings, narrow referral/recruitment pathways related to stigma concerns, and challenges related to infrastructure, resources, and competing demands.

Conclusions: College health centers are a feasible and appropriate setting to offer BWLIs, though barriers to implementation exist. It will be important to construct a plan for implementation to address unique barriers in health centers prior to BWLI implementation.