Change in the motivation pattern of adolescents before and after participation in a multidisciplinary health promotion program

Abstract

Introduction: there is evidence that multidisciplinary interventions are an efficient approach to achieving weight loss and other health-related goals. However, dropout rates of these programs are high among adolescents. The suggestion is that understanding the motivation of individuals to participate in these projects is fundamental to developing strategies for permanence and, consequently, promoting better results. Objective: the main aim of this study was to describe the motivations of overweight adolescents participating in a multidisciplinary health promotion project. Methods: this qualitative study was conducted from March to July 2021 using the Bardin content analysis technique. The tool used for data collection was the semi-structured interview, analyzed means by the software QSR NVivo 11 by grouping the speech into clusters. These, in turn, were evaluated in three categories: (1) motivation, (2) food, and (3) physical exercise. Results: the age of the participants was 13.8 ± 2.4 years old, with body mass index of 31.8 ± 8.5 kg/m². Regarding family income, 41.66% had a monthly payment of 3 to 6 minimum wages. Regarding parents’ educational level, 70.83% of mothers had completed higher education, while 29.16% had completed high school. According to the respondent’s answers, weight loss was the greatest motivation to participate in a multidisciplinary obesity treatment program. In category 2, it was observed that adolescents associated the act of eating with feelings such as anxiety and nervousness. In category 3, the impact of the pandemic was found under the modalities of physical exercise practiced. Conclusion: the results describe the motivation of overweight adolescents to participate in a multidisciplinary program, in addition to elucidating participants’ perception of their health and related habits, strategies for health promotion, and consequent improvement of the quality of life of these individuals.