Ghosh Gargi, Khan Hafiz T A, Vohra Salim
Faculty of Health, Medicine & Social Care, School of Nursing and Midwifery, Anglia Ruskin University, Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom.
Public Health Group, College of Nursing, Midwifery and Healthcare, University of West London, Brentford, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2025 Mar 19;20(3):e0320253. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0320253. eCollection 2025.
The study aimed to explore the phenomena related to formal and informal social care needs among overweight and obese older adults living in England.
Despite the rising prevalence of obesity among older adults, its impact on social care needs remains underexplored. Existing research highlights significant unmet social care needs among older adults, yet the specific challenges faced by those who are overweight or obese have received limited attention. This study addresses this gap by exploring and understanding the social care experiences and needs of older adults in England who are overweight or obese.
Participants were recruited from a local National Health Service (NHS) health centre in London England using a purposive sampling strategy to the point of analytical saturation. A total of 45 participants were invited and of these 33 participants were eligible to take part. All participants in this study are either of British origin or immigrants to the UK from various nationalities. A semi-structured interview was conducted, and a qualitative structural narrative analysis was undertaken.
The study found that older adults, who are overweight or obese, were more likely to have physical health problems and problems with mobility. They were more likely to have informal voluntary care and support rather than formal social care support. They also had a weaker social support network, were more isolated and frustrated, lacked housing adaptations, felt unsafe, felt they were a burden to their families and felt discriminated against by the wider community. Care and support needs if not met, then these are likely to generate or widen health inequalities over time.
This study provides a unique perspective on unmet care needs among overweight and obese older adults in England. It highlights the compounded challenges faced by this population, emphasising the importance of holistic social care approaches that address both health and psychosocial needs. Findings suggest that minimal yet targeted interventions, such as accessible support networks and public health policies promoting social engagement, could significantly improve wellbeing and reduce long-term health inequalities.
本研究旨在探讨居住在英格兰的超重和肥胖老年人中与正式和非正式社会护理需求相关的现象。
尽管老年人肥胖患病率不断上升，但其对社会护理需求的影响仍未得到充分研究。现有研究强调老年人存在大量未满足的社会护理需求，但超重或肥胖者面临的具体挑战受到的关注有限。本研究通过探索和了解英格兰超重或肥胖老年人的社会护理经历和需求来填补这一空白。
采用目的抽样策略，从英国伦敦当地的一家国民保健服务（NHS）健康中心招募参与者，直至达到分析饱和。共邀请了45名参与者，其中33名符合参与条件。本研究的所有参与者均为英国本土人士或来自不同国籍的英国移民。进行了半结构化访谈，并开展了定性结构叙事分析。
研究发现，超重或肥胖的老年人更有可能存在身体健康问题和行动不便问题。他们更有可能获得非正式的志愿护理和支持，而非正式的社会护理支持。他们的社会支持网络也更薄弱，更加孤立和沮丧，缺乏住房适应性改造，感到不安全，觉得自己是家人的负担，并且感到受到更广泛社区的歧视。如果护理和支持需求得不到满足，随着时间的推移，这些需求可能会导致或加剧健康不平等。
本研究为英格兰超重和肥胖老年人未满足的护理需求提供了独特视角。它突出了这一人群面临的多重挑战，强调了应对健康和心理社会需求的整体社会护理方法的重要性。研究结果表明，诸如可及的支持网络和促进社会参与的公共卫生政策等少量但有针对性的干预措施，可显著改善幸福感并减少长期健康不平等。
