A mixed-methods investigation of psychological factors relevant to weight maintenance. (March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Dibb-Smith, Amanda Ellen; Brindal, Emily; Chapman, Janine; Noakes, Manny
• Is Part Of: Journal of health psychology. Volume 24:Number 4(2019)
• Page Start: 440
• Page End: 452
• Publication Date: 2019-03
• Subjects: dichotomous thinking -- planning -- problem-solving skills -- weight maintenance -- weight re-gain; Clinical health psychology -- Periodicals; 613.019
• DOI: 10.1177/1359105316678053
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1359-1053

Abstract

This study investigated perceptions of and engagement with the concepts of planning and problem-solving, within a weight management sample. A total of 53 participants (62% female, 20–74 years old) completed a semi-structured interview and quantitative measures after a 16-week weight maintenance period. Preliminary weight maintainers (who had maintained losses of, at least 10% of their original weight) were compared with heavier-than-baseline participants (who had re-gained more weight than was originally lost). The maintainers exhibited stronger problem-solving skills ( p < .05). The heavier-than-baseline participants tended towards non-rational problem-solving styles. Qualitatively, the maintainers described more planning events and were more accepting of mistakes than the heavier-than-baseline participants. Implications are discussed.