Predictors for continued participation of employees in structured outpatient obesity intervention programmes

Overweight, obesity and the conditions resulting from them have become one of the major challenges for health systems all over the world. High dropout rates are particularly common among the participants in outpatient obesity intervention programmes (OIP). Limited research has examined retention in OIP.

Based on the data of a 24-month Bundeswehr outpatient OIP with a total of 630 participants, predisposing factors (n = 30) for continued participation beyond an early stage (0-3 months) and beyond a later stage (0-6 months) were analysed by means of a logistic regression analysis. In order to correct for multiple-comparison, the p-value was adjusted (p* < 0.0017).

Three hundred out of 630 participants continued to participate beyond an early stage and 205 beyond a later stage. Besides an age between 40 and 50 at the beginning of the outpatient OIP, it was possible to show that knowledge of one's blood pressure and a positive lifestyle prior to participation in the programme (higher level of sporting activity) were predisposing factors for early dropout (>3 months) in the intervention programme.

The possible predisposing factors examined accounted for about 35% of the variance in a rough estimate. In order to improve long-term participation in workplace outpatient OIP, the study focused on how the motivation of older people and employees with an unfavourable cardiovascular risk profile could be improved.