Postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity choosing a nutritional approach for weight loss: A decisional needs assessment.
OBJECTIVE
To identify the decisional needs of postmenopausal women with abdominal obesity choosing between two nutritional approaches for weight loss: a low-fat diet or a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.


METHODS
Our descriptive qualitative study was based on the Ottawa Decision Support Framework.


METHODS
Four focus groups were conducted with postmenopausal women. A thematic content analysis was performed to determine the decisional needs influencing the choice of a low-fat diet or a diet rich in fruit and vegetables.


RESULTS
Seventeen postmenopausal women participated in the study (median age 59 years). Most frequently reported decisional needs for each nutritional approach were sufficient levels of nutritional skills and knowledge, consideration of the physiological impacts and the sensory aspect of approaches, food availability, social support, finances and motivation. Partners, friends and daughters were considered as the most important individuals involved in the decision.


CONCLUSIONS
We identified several decisional needs influencing postmenopausal women when choosing between a low-fat diet and a diet rich in fruit and vegetables. These findings could inform the design of decision support interventions that address the decisional needs of women for making and implementing informed decisions about a nutritional approach for weight loss.
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, 2440 boulevard Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; School of Nutrition, Laval University, 2425 rue de l'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: nadine_poirier1@hotmail.com.
Nadine
N
Poirier
Department of Family Medicine and Emergency Medicine, Laval University, 1050 rue de la médecine, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, 10 rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: france.legare@fmed.ulaval.ca.
France
F
Légaré
School of Nursing, University of Ottawa, 451 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON, K1H 8M5, Canada; Ottawa Hospital Research Institute, University of Ottawa, 725 Parkdale Ave., Ottawa, ON, K1Y 4E9, Canada. Electronic address: dawn.stacey@uottawa.ca.
Dawn
D
Stacey
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, 2440 boulevard Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; School of Nutrition, Laval University, 2425 rue de l'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: simone.lemieux@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
Simone
S
Lemieux
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, 2440 boulevard Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; School of Psychology, Laval University, 2325 rue des bibliothèques, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: catherine.begin@psy.ulaval.ca.
Catherine
C
Bégin
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, 2440 boulevard Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada. Electronic address: annie.lapointe@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
Annie
A
Lapointe
Institute of Nutrition and Functional Foods, Laval University, 2440 boulevard Hochelaga, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; School of Nutrition, Laval University, 2425 rue de l'Agriculture, Québec, QC, G1V 0A6, Canada; Research Center of the Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Québec, 10 rue de l'Espinay, Québec, QC, G1L 3L5, Canada. Electronic address: sophie.desroches@fsaa.ulaval.ca.
Sophie
S
Desroches
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018752:Diet, Fat-Restricted; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation / Q000502:physiology; D020380:Needs Assessment; D056128:Obesity, Abdominal / Q000178:diet therapy*; D017698:Postmenopause; D014675:Vegetables; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
Decisional need; Diet rich in fruit and vegetables; Low-fat diet; Postmenopausal women; Weight loss