title: Overweight and obese low-income women: restorative health behaviors under overwhelming conditions.
abstract: In this grounded theory study we used semistructured interviews to explore how 16 low-income uninsured Midwestern United States women who were overweight or obese felt about their condition. Using grounded theory, we identified a central problem-overwhelming conditions exemplified by numerous stressors in the lives of the participants. Despite these overwhelming conditions, the participants identified numerous restorative health behaviors in five dimensions: health, economics, environment, knowledge, and commitment. Health care providers should be cognizant of their patients' complex lives and support them in identifying, adopting, and maintaining health-restoring behaviors that work for them.
authors.affiliation: Department of Adult Health and Gerontological Nursing, College of Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois, USA. susan_buchholz@rush.edu
authors.forename: Susan Weber
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Buchholz
authors.forename: Dolores
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Huffman
authors.forename: Joy Christine
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: McKenna
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008019:Life Style; D017057:Medically Uninsured; D008875:Middle Aged; D015146:Midwestern United States; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000523:psychology; D011203:Poverty; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support