Healthcare professionals, in particular nurses, should consider issues that may hinder or encourage individuals in this clinical group to participate in lifestyle interventions if the full benefits are to be achieved. Further research is needed to explore possible incentives and barriers from the service users' own perspective.

This study provides evidence about the incentives and barriers to lifestyle interventions from service users' perspective, which should inform developments to improve the delivery of lifestyle interventions for this group.

This article was written as part of the first author’s PhD and as a case study for an intervention, as part of the Stage 2 competencies. The intervention, in schools, applying the Brighton Breast Benefits project, was successful in improving adolescent girls’ attitudes to breastfeeding. Also Theory of Planned Behaviour variables were found to be predictive of intentions, as well as whether the girl had been breastfed by her own mother.