Developing a Tailored Weight Management Program for Underserved Populations

Obesity is a serious issue for many Americans and has become in recent decades a nationwide epidemic particularly among underserved populations.  Developing effective weight management programs is a high priority for this diverse group given their increased risk for poor health outcomes. Tailoring interventions to match individual client needs and circumstances is well recognized as an effective approach for implementing health behavior changes; and computer-based interventions have been effective in delivering a variety of individualized health programs. However, integrating newly developed health programs into established clinics also needs to be tailored for the individual practice setting.

This poster describes how two NP faculty members worked with a large Federally Qualified Health Clinic System in a city in the Southwest to pilot a weight management program that was to become part of the primary care offerings in the clinic system. The program is designed to assist overweight and obese diabetic and non-diabetic clients manage and/or reduce their weight. The pilot utilizes evidence-based recommendations and USPSTF clinical guidelines. Recruitment strategies, educational materials, program counseling methods, and outcome measures will be discussed. A second purpose is to describe methods used to integrate the weight program into the primary clinic, enhance reinforcement of individual client goals at every primary care visit, and promote a sustained approach for improvement in attainment of a healthy weight both during and after clients are actively enrolled in the weight management program