To initiate the conversation – Public health nurses’ experiences of working with obesity in persons with mobility disability

AIM: Developing a theory explaining how public health nurses accomplish and adapt counselling in lifestyle habits to decrease obesity in people with mobility disability. DESIGN: Empirical research ‐ qualitative. METHOD: Classic grounded theory with face‐to‐face interviews, 2017–2018, using inductive approach to understand public health nurses' intervening experiences with obesity patients. RESULTS: To initiate the conversation emerged as the main concern meaning having difficulties initiating conversations about obesity with patients. Public health nurses’ facilitators to communicate lifestyle changes emerged as the pattern generating the theory, which consists of the categories; person‐centeredness in the situation, experience and knowledge, strengthening conditions, access to other professionals and prioritization in everyday work. CONCLUSIONS: Public health nurses hesitate to raise topics of obesity in patients with mobility disability. They advocate increased integration with lifestyle changes in everyday work including multi‐professional cooperation. The implication is testing the emerged theory at primary health care centres. IMPACT: Obesity is more common in people with mobility disability than in those without. There is a need to understand how public health nurses adapt counselling in lifestyle habits. Public health nurses hesitate to talk about obesity with patients in fear of offending anyone. Public health nurses did not distinguish between patients with or without mobility disability. Several facilitators could be helpful initiating conversation with the patients. Public health nurses need more time and resources to facilitate conversation with patients with mobility disability to counsel lifestyle changes.