title: Contributors to patient engagement in primary health care: perceptions of patients with obesity.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Patients with obesity are at risk for treatment avoidance and nonadherence. Factors that contribute to engagement in primary health care for patients with obesity are not fully understood.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this pilot study was to identify issues associated with engagement in primary health care for patients with obesity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using qualitative methodology, 11 patients with a mean body mass index of 40.8 kg/m(2) registered with a primary health care practice were interviewed. Conventional content analysis was used to identify factors that contribute to engagement in primary health care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Barriers and facilitators to engagement in primary health care were categorized into the following themes: availability of resources, importance of the relationship, meaningful communication, feeling judged, lack of privacy, poor communication and limited provider knowledge about obesity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Obesity was identified as a health condition that requires additional considerations for patient engagement in their health care.
authors.affiliation: Strategic Training Fellow, Interdisciplinary Primary Health Care Research, CIHR, Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada. forhanm@mcmaster.ca
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Forhan
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Risdon
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy; D009864:Ontario; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology*; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011320:Primary Health Care; D036301:Qualitative Research; D055815:Young Adult