Participation and Motivation in Obesity Treatment – A Qualitative Study of Teenagers' and Parents' Perceptions

Aim: The aim was to describe teenagers’ and parents’ perceptions of participation in treatment and their view of motivation within the context of obesity treatment. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted with 10 families (10 teenagers, aged 13 to 18 years and 6 parents) taking part in a family-based treatment model for childhood obesity. Data from interviews were processed with a phenomenographic analytic method. Results: The categories motivation promotion, motivation demotion, conditions for participation and supportive treatment interventions outline participants’ views on motivation and participation in the treatment of overweight/obesity. Motivation and opportunity for involvement in treatment is of great importance for parents and teenagers. Motivation was described as an important and necessary driving force for changing lifestyle behaviour. Conclusions: Future treatment interventions need to focus on further strengthening families’ participation and supporting motivation based on the experiences and suggestions that emerged in this study. For the health care sector, it is a challenge to develop comprehensive models that take families’ conditions into account and to involve them in the design of childhood obesity treatment.