TABLE 3.
Study characteristics
| Author, year | Sample size | % (f) | % nurses | Country | BMI | Methodological and theoretical approach | Method/places of recruitment | Age range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alexander, 2006 | 17 | 65 | 0 | US | 18 to 33 (mean 23.7; SD, 4.0) | Grounded theory | Emailed colleagues in medical Centre | 29–61 |
| Ali, 2009 | 29 | 100 | 34 | UAE | Not given | Grounded theory | Not given. | Not given |
| Ampt, 2009 | 15 | 54 | 0 | AUS | Not given | The theory of planned behaviour | Through involvement in recent similar study. | Not given |
| Antognoli, 2017 | 38 | Not given | 0 | US | Not given | Not given | Letter (but incentivised through training for obesity and nutrition counselling) | Not given |
| Ashman, 2015 | 12 | 66 | 0 | AUS | Not given | Social cognitive theory | Snowball recruitment of GPs who had agreed to deliver a pilot of an obesity management programme. | 31–60 |
| Asselin, 2016 | 29 | 97 | 100 | CAN | Not given | Theoretical domains framework | Family practices who were randomised to the intervention of an obesity management tool. | 26–68 |
| Blackburn, 2015 | 34 | 82% combined (64% GPs 100% nurses) | 50 | UK | 18–30 + (52% healthy weight, 32% overweight, 11% obese, 2% not specified). | Theoretical domains framework | Email to GP surgeries, thereafter snowball recruitment, practice level reimbursement for their time. | 30–49 |
| Brown, 2007 | 15 | 100 | 100 | UK | 40% healthy weight, 33% obese, 26% healthy range | Pragmatic qualitative methodology | Postal survey response about obesity management | 28–57 |
| Claridge, 2014 | 12 | 42 | 0 | NZ | Not given | Inductive thematic analysis | 33% existing connection, 67% random calling of GP clinics. | 31–60+ |
| Derksen, 2012 | 11 | 66 | 72 | NL | Not detailed, only given in vague language e.g. ‘about one‐third seemed to be overweight’ | Not detailed | Members of research team asked their colleagues. | Not detailed. |
| Douglas, 2005 | 10 | 100 | 100 | SCO | Not given | Not detailed other than ‘mixed methods approach’ | Recruited by virtue of them returning a questionnaire | Not given |
| Epstein, 2005 | 21 | 52 | 0 | UK | Not given | Interpretative phenomenological approach | All GPs in one trust were invited but not detailed by what method. | 30–60+ |
| Glenister, 2017 | 7 | Not given | 0 | AUS | Not given | Thematic analysis | Email sent to two general practice in two towns. | Not given |
| Gudzune, 2012 | 26 | 58 | 8 | US | Not given | Not detailed | Recruited as a substudy from an obesity reduction trial, only practitioners who had enrolled 4 or more patients in the trial were eligible. | Mean (SD) 46.4 (10.7) |
| Gunther, 2012 | 14 | 85.5 combined (43% female amongst GPs, 100% amongst nurses) | 100 | UK | Not given | Interviews used but no theory detailed | ‘Obesity leads' in trusts were aksed to identify practices with different levels of obesity | 31–64 |
| Hansson, 2011 | 20 | 65 | 50 | SWE | Not given. | Phenomenographic | Mail/phone to medical heads of primary care centres in well‐defined area in Sweden who then referred staff. | 34–60 |
| Hoffman, 2006 | 6 | Not given | Not given | US | Not given | Focus groups but theory not mentioned | Not detailed | Not detailed |
| Heintz 2011 | 15 | 60 | 0 | DEU | None had elevated BMI (mean 22.4) | Free associated narrative method, MAYRING's qualitative content analysis and theoretical sampling | Written letter sent to 70 GPs who which 15 participated in the study | Mean age 51 |
| Huang, 2004 | 24 | 22 | 0 | US | Not given | Focus groups with scripted probes and encouraged participants to clarify answers | Not detailed but participants compensated between $50–100 depending on seniority | 27–52 |
| Jochemsen, 2011 | 25 | 60 | Unclear because GP teachers are both GP's and behavioural scientists | NL | Not given | Focus groups with probing questions, no theory detailed | Prospective sampling by selecting every third name on an alphabetical list from GP training Centre | 29–36 for trainees, trainers not detailed |
| Kim, 2015 | 24 | 54 | 0 | AUS | Not given | Semistructured interviews, not wider theory detailed | Invited via email sent by primary care organisations' local liaison officers. | Not given in full detail |
| Leverence, 2007 | 23 (paediatricians not included) | 43 total (but not detailed when paediatricians removed) | 39 | US | Not given | In depth semistructured interviews and focus groups designed to elicit encounter‐based narratives | Not detailed other than a researcher directly contacted prospective interviewers in sample taken from research in outpatient settings network | Not given |
| Lee, 2017 | 50 | 42 | 0 | SGP | Not given | Grounded theory. Focus groups and in‐depth interviews. | Email and telephone contact, but no further detail | 25–56 |
| Nolan, 2012 | 22 | 95 | 100 | UK | Not given | Semistructured face‐to‐face interviews. Interviewer worked locally for primacy care trust as an obesity lead and had organised local obesity training, and some participants were aware of this. | Invited by letter to nurses, contacted subsequently via telephone. During recruitment, potential participants were told study was about take‐up and use of NICE guidance on obesity. | Not detailed |
| Phillips, 2013 | 18 | 100 | 100 | UK | Not given | F2F interviews with a thematic analysis of results. | Via email sent to lead nurses for local health board who were asked to send to all practice nurses in their area. Interested nurses contacted the research team via email or phone. 78% declared specific interest in obesity management | Not detailed |
| Ribera, 2005 | 33 | Not detailed for focus groups | 45 | ESP | Not given | Semistructured interviews corroborated data and focus groups provided ‘in‐depth personalised information’. Stages of change theory and decisional balance concept was used. Theoretical sampling strategy was used. | Not detailed for focus groups, but overall sample was selected from seven regions of Catalan health system, it does not detail how they were contacted. | Not detailed |
| Sonntag, 2011 | 15 | 60 | 0 | DEU | None had elevated BMI (mean 22.4 kg/m2) | Semistructured interviews with open‐ended questions, transcribed and subjected to Mayring's technique for qualitative analysis. | GPs were contacted by the local board of health in Berlin and not incentivised. | Average age 51 |
| Teixeira, 2014 | 16 | 56 | 0 | PRT | Average BMI 25.55/m2 (range 20.83–30.48 kg/m2). | Semistructure face to face interviews with an inductive thematic analysis of results. | GPs invited via telephone and/or after approval of heads of GP centres. After first contact, snowball sampling employed | 32–57 |
Abbreviations: BMI, body mass index; GP, general practitioner.