How acceptable is a weight maintenance programme for healthy weight young women who are at increased risk of breast cancer?

Objective

To determine if a weight gain prevention intervention is acceptable to young women with a normal Body Mass Index and a moderately increased or high risk of breast cancer.

Design

Qualitative semi-structured interview study involving 14 women aged 26-35 years who were registered with a Family History Clinic in Manchester, UK, due to family history of breast cancer. Participants' views were analysed thematically.

Results

Four themes were produced: (1) perceptions of a healthy lifestyle: women's perceptions included health-related behaviours and subjective wellbeing; (2) construing a healthy weight: women rely on appearance, feelings and others opinions to construe weight instead of quantitative indicators; (3) configuring a useful programme: the idea of a programme that is remotely accessible; provides a point of contact; and promotes general wellbeing was appealing. Women believed information explaining the link between lifestyle and breast cancer would facilitate behaviour change; (4) the importance of will(power): women recognised that commitment to a programme is affected by time, money and readiness to change.

Conclusion

A weight gain prevention intervention that focuses on wellbeing and behaviour change appears acceptable to many healthy weight women. Future research should examine whether women's expressed acceptability translates into actual acceptability of such a programme.