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Barriers to a healthy lifestyle among obese adolescents: a qualitative study from Iran

  • Original Article
  • Published:
International Journal of Public Health

Abstract

Purpose

Existing data show a rising prevalence of overweight and obesity among Iranian adolescents. The current study investigates adolescents’ perceptions regarding overweight/obesity and explores barriers to a healthy life style among Iranian adolescents.

Methods

A grounded theory approach was used for analyzing the participants’ experiences, and their perceptions. To collect data, semi-structured focus group discussions and in-depth interviews were conducted with 51 adolescents (27 girls and 24 boys), aged 15–17 years, who were either overweight or obese. Qualitative content analysis of the data was conducted manually and differences in coding were resolved via discussion by four independent reviewers.

Results

Two main barriers, personal and environmental emerged from data analysis. Positive perception of condition, priority of studying, lack of willingness, unsatisfactory results, low self-esteem, and perceived lack of control were the major personal barriers while lack of family and cultural support, inadequate education and scarcity of resources were the common environmental barriers to adolescents’ healthy lifestyles.

Conclusions

Findings demonstrated the main personal and environmental barriers for a healthy life style as perceived by adolescents. Understanding these barriers might contribute to existing literature by providing evidence from a different culture, and help to design effective preventive strategies, and implement appropriate interventions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank all participants who made this study possible.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Health Education, Tarbiat Modares University, 14115-111, Tehran, Iran

    Parisa Amiri & Fazlollah Ghofranipour

  2. Department of Nursing, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran, Iran

    Fazlollah Ahmadi

  3. Internal Medicine and Endocrinology, Obesity Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Farhad Hosseinpanah

  4. Public Health and Epidemiology, Department of Mental Health, Iranian Institute for Health Sciences Research, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Montazeri

  5. Obesity Research Center, Research Institute for Endocrine Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Sara Jalali-Farahani

  6. Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Ali Rastegarpour

Authors
  1. Parisa Amiri
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  2. Fazlollah Ghofranipour
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  3. Fazlollah Ahmadi
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  4. Farhad Hosseinpanah
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  5. Ali Montazeri
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  6. Sara Jalali-Farahani
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  7. Ali Rastegarpour
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Correspondence to Fazlollah Ghofranipour.

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Amiri, P., Ghofranipour, F., Ahmadi, F. et al. Barriers to a healthy lifestyle among obese adolescents: a qualitative study from Iran. Int J Public Health 56, 181–189 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0119-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00038-010-0119-6

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