The experiences of social care community occupational therapists in Wales of addressing obesity in the adult population

Abstract

The prevalence of obesity, and the associated costs to health and social care services, has attracted the attention of policy-makers recently. This increase in obesity has had a direct impact on the practice of occupational therapy in social care. This exploratory study aimed to evaluate the experiences of community occupational therapists in South Wales and to identify enablers and barriers faced by occupational therapists in social care. Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight occupational therapists working in social services departments across local authorities in South Wales in the UK. Interviews were analysed thematically using the Braun and Clarke framework (2006). The following four key themes were identified from the semi-structured interviews with the occupational therapists: (1) feelings of competence and duty; (2) the changing nature of practice in social care settings; (3) managing complex relationships with clients, management and other healthcare professionals and (4) accessing physical resources in the community. The occupational therapists described their practice experiences relating to the prevention, management and treatment for adults with obesity seen in a community setting. Taking into account the information gained from the interviews, several recommendations have been made to enable occupational therapists to promote independence and quality of life as well as ensuring best practice when working with adults with obesity.