Table 3.

Qualitative themes from interviews.

Gender-tailoring
● Strong preference for women-only groups
● One-third theoretically open to inclusion of men in groups
● Importance of camaraderie, support, and mutual understanding of gender-specific barriers to weight loss
● Importance of shared military background and opportunity to meet other women Veterans
● Discomfort talking openly about the personal body and weight issues around men
All participants	In-person	Online
● Importance of being presented with a modality choice
● Only one option truly “available” to most
Reasons for modality selection:
	● Social opportunities ● Support and encouragement ● Learning from others, sharing tips ● Limited computer literacy or access	● Long distance/commute to in-person groups ● Lack of transportation ● Scheduling conflicts with in-person groups ● Convenience and flexibility
Satisfaction with choice:
● Most very satisfied with choice	● Social/support opportunities ● Learning from others ● Handouts ● Class demonstrations ● Few dislikes about modality	● Convenience and flexibility ● Group learning ● Camaraderie ● Dissatisfaction with: Technical or customer service; program too impersonal; logging meals & weight; switch to larger mixed-gender groups
Modality-specific recommendations:
● Incorporating desirable aspects of the other modality, such as:	● Improve accessibility via digital components: ● Videoconferencing ● Greater scheduling flexibility ● Longer class length	● Increase personalizability of experience: ● In-person get-togethers/events ● Ability to interact individually with group members ● Customizable profiles