Models and theories to support health promotion programmes for overweight and obese adults: A scoping review

Abstract

Introduction: The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity has been alarming. One approach to address this issue is to implement health promotion programmes. Despite the many health promotion and health intervention programmes held, there is a lack of evidence showing the application of theories and models. This scoping review aimed to explore existing literature and synthesise findings based on models and theories used to support health promotion programmes for overweight and obese adults. Methods: This review was guided by the Arksey and O’Malley framework. Online databases, such as Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, were used to search for relevant articles using suitable keywords, from January 2015 until December 2021. Articles were written in English and Malay, and the study subjects were adults aged 18-59 years old. Two reviewers independently screened the articles, and the extracted information were tabulated after analysis. Results: A total of 13 different theories and models were found in the 27 articles selected. Many studies reported using the Transtheoretical Model, Social Cognitive Theory, and Health Belief Model in health promotion programmes for overweight and obese adults. Most constructs and components focused on changing health-related behaviours starting with the individual, such as self-efficacy and readiness to change. Majority of the articles showed an improvement in health-related behaviours and had great potential for future studies. Conclusion: When conducting health promotion programmes for overweight and obese adults, researchers should consider models and theories with constructs and components to ensure consistent improvement and potentially significant impacts on health-related outcomes.