Dietetics counseling :using support group to explore weight management challenges among female university students

Abstract

The recent survey National Health and Morbidity Survey 2015 showed that 30.6% of Malaysian adult are obese (MOH, 2015). This percentage has increased drastically to more than 200% as compared to 2010 statistics (Ministry of Health [MOH], 2010). The trend is worrying and definitely will affect the well-being of individuals as it may lead to other complications in life. Unfortunately, a lack of research in Malaysia thus no documentation on the weight management experiences of Malaysians can be found thus far. Hence, a qualitative study was conducted to identify challenges faced in the process of weight management among obese people in Malaysia. A structured support group was proposed at one local university in Malaysia targeted at female young adults. Membership was recruited through an on-campus advertisement. Based on the inclusion criteria set, eight participants were recruited. After the pre-group session, only four participants were able to join the study due to the time commitment. The weekly group counseling meetings cum focus group discussion (FGD) were scheduled for 1 ½ hours. The module prepared includes contents and activities related to challenges of losing weight, healthy eating with low calorie food and coping skills using cognitive-behavioral techniques. All four sessions were transcribed and the verbatim were analyzed. The group experiences of the participants were evaluated at each meeting as well as at the end of the program. The major themes were derived from the 3 levels of socio-ecological model proposed. The challenge of poor self-control seemed to be consistent theme throughout the discussions. In response to the support group experiences, all of the participants agreed that gaining support and encouragement is the most prominent value throughout the sessions. The study proposed longitudinal study on similar topic as to explore support groups impacts on participants’ reduction of weight. It also proposed further exploration of dietitians’ self-efficacy in practicing counseling skills in dietetics intervention.