Experiences of obesity in forensic settings
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring service users’ experiences of obesity in forensic inpatient settings: A reflexive thematic analysis
IRAS ID
325091
Contact name
Filipa Alves-Costa
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Noclor
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 10 months, 1 days
Research summary
There are significant physical health disparities among individuals who experience mental health difficulties and the general population. A contributor to this is obesity, with rates three-fold in mental health populations. Obesity has physical and psychological health consequences which can impact quality of life. Research on obesity in general health settings has explored experiences of powerlessness and stigma and calls into question the effectiveness of weight management interventions which primarily focus on BMI and waist circumference as an outcome, which can potentially increase stigma.
In mental health settings, research has suggested that weight management programmes are largely ineffective. One area of mental health where obesity is significantly higher (60 —70 %) than the general population (20-30%) is forensic inpatient settings. These secure settings which treat individuals who have a have committed a crime and are experiencing significant mental health issues. There are specific risks associated with obesity in these settings including: restriction of movement; medication; low motivation; lack of food choice/portion sizes; previous trauma histories which can impact emotional regulation which has been linked to increased food intake; boredom.
Thus, research on obesity in forensic settings focuses largely on prevalence and staff experiences and there is no specific guidelines on weight management programmes tailored specifically to these settings. The proposed study aims to take an in-depth exploration to service-users experience of obesity in forensic inpatient settings and to use this to further inform the development of tailored interventions and overcome barriers to change.
The study will recruit 10-20 participants from the North London Forensic Service. The service has eight male low secure units, five male medium secure units, and one female medium secure unit. Participants will be asked to participate if they have BMI over 27 and will take part in a semi structured interview. There are no follow up tasks.
REC name
London - City & East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/LO/0563
Date of REC Opinion
25 Jul 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion