Views and experiences of weight management for people living with mobility‑limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities or severe mental illness: a qualitative evidence synthesis

OBJECTIVES: This is a protocol for a Cochrane Review (qualitative). The objectives are as follows: This qualitative evidence synthesis (QES) aims to address the question: What is known from qualitative evidence about behavioural weight management for people living with mobility-limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities, or severe mental illness? The five review objectives are as follows. To explore individuals' experiences with weight and behavioural weight-management programmes. This includes understanding how individuals living with mobility-limiting conditions, intellectual disabilities, severe mental illness and their carers experience managing their weight and how they perceive and engage with behavioural weight-management programmes, including how accessible, supportive, and relevant they find the programme elements. To identify barriers to and facilitators of managing a healthy weight and accessing behavioural weight-management programmes. Focusing on the unique obstacles encountered by each population group, we will examine issues such as physical accessibility, communication challenges, financial constraints, and gaps in tailored support that may prevent equitable participation. We will also include people's perspectives on structural and system-level barriers, as well as the influence of intersectional factors (e.g. gender and ethnicity), on the challenges of maintaining weight and accessing and benefiting from support. To understand the impact of stigma and discrimination on programme engagement and outcomes. This objective seeks to uncover how stigma related to weight, disability, or mental health influences individuals' willingness to participate, their inclusion and sense of belonging with others within the programmes, and overall programme satisfaction. It also examines the role of stigma as a potential barrier to success. To capture the perspectives of programme providers and healthcare practitioners. Gathering insights from healthcare providers and programme facilitators, this objective assesses which programme elements are considered successful and which present ongoing challenges. This includes evaluating aspects like accessibility, engagement strategies, and support mechanisms that may require improvement. To produce an inclusive piece of research through incorporating the insight of people with lived experience and professional expertise in interpreting and considering the implications of the evidence. By synthesising this qualitative evidence, the review aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of how to design and implement behavioural weight-management programmes that are more inclusive, effective, and responsive to the needs of these populations.