Abstract
BackgroundObesity is a prevalent, complex, progressive and relapsing chronic disease characterised by abnormal or excessive body fat that impairs health and quality of life. It affects more than 650 million adults worldwide and is associated with a range of health complications. Qualitative research plays a key role in understanding patient experiences and the factors that facilitate or hinder the effectiveness of health interventions. This review aims to systematically locate, assess and synthesise qualitative studies in order to develop a more comprehensive understanding of the lived experience of people with obesity.MethodsThis is a protocol for a qualitative evidence synthesis of the lived experience of people with obesity. A defined search strategy will be employed in conducting a comprehensive literature search of the following databases: PubMed, Embase, PsycInfo, PsycArticles and Dimensions (from 2011 onwards). Qualitative studies focusing on the lived experience of adults with obesity (BMI >30) will be included. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, abstracts and full-text articles and abstract data. The quality of included studies will be appraised using the critical appraisal skills programme (CASP) criteria. Thematic synthesis will be conducted on all of the included studies. Confidence in the review findings will be assessed using GRADE CERQual.DiscussionThe findings from this synthesis will be used to inform the EU Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI)-funded SOPHIA (Stratification of Obesity Phenotypes to Optimize Future Obesity Therapy) study. The objective of SOPHIA is to optimise future obesity treatment and stimulate a new narrative, understanding and vocabulary around obesity as a set of complex and chronic diseases. The findings will also be useful to health care providers and policy makers who seek to understand the experience of those with obesity.Systematic review registrationPROSPERO CRD42020214560.
Highlights
Obesity is a prevalent, complex, progressive and relapsing chronic disease characterised by abnormal or excessive body fat that impairs health and quality of life
Obesity is a complex chronic disease which increases the risk of long-term medical complications and a reduced quality of life
People with obesity are subject to weight bias, stigma and discrimination which in themselves result in increased risk of mobility or mortality
Summary
Complex, progressive and relapsing chronic disease characterised by abnormal or excessive body fat that impairs health and quality of life. Obesity is caused by the complex interplay of multiple genetic, metabolic, behavioural and environmental factors, with the latter thought to be the proximate factor which enabled the substantial rise in the prevalence of Farrell et al Systematic Reviews (2021) 10:181 obesity in recent decades [3, 4]. This increased prevalence has resulted in obesity becoming a major public health issue with a resulting growth in health care and economic costs [5, 6]. Excess body fat can place an individual at increased cardiometabolic and cancer risk [12,13,14] with an estimated 20% of all cancers attributed to obesity [15]
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