Women Veterans Experience with the VA MOVE! Weight Management Program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Women's Health

Background:

• Obesity affects 44% of women veterans, a higher prevalence than in civilian women.
• There's a critical need to identify factors influencing women veterans' engagement in weight management.
• The Veterans Health Administration's Motivating Overweight/Obese Veterans Everywhere (VA MOVE!) program aims to address obesity in veterans.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore facilitators and barriers to weight loss for women veterans in the VA MOVE! program.
• To gather feedback on the design and delivery of the VA MOVE! program.
• To identify strategies for enhancing weight management program participation among women veterans.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study using semistructured telephone interviews with women veterans who completed at least one VA MOVE! visit.
• Independent review of transcripts by two authors for data-derived codes.
• Content analysis approach applied to coded transcripts.

Main Results:

• Facilitators included intrinsic motivation (e.g., desire for better health) and extrinsic motivation (e.g., improving lab results).
• Barriers included difficulties with group learning, applying lessons, PTSD triggers from group settings, travel distance, and lack of exercise space.
• Participants reported challenges in applying program lessons to daily life.

Conclusions:

• Barriers and facilitators identified in the VA MOVE! program offer insights into improving weight management for women veterans.
• Findings suggest that interventions addressing group session dynamics, accessibility, and practical application of skills may enhance program effectiveness.
• The identified barriers for women veterans often mirror those faced by civilian women, indicating broader applicability of findings.