Eating Behavior Intervention of Overweight Women With Chronic Kidney Disease: A Qualitative Analysis.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate a behavioral intervention conducted with nondialyzed overweight women with chronic kidney disease (CKD) by describing their eating behaviors.

Design and methods: This prospective, mixed-method, noncontrolled clinical trial used a behavioral nondiet approach with 15 multisession group interventions for dietary management among 33 overweight women with CKD (age = 62.0 [54.0-67.5] years; body mass index = 32.8 [30.5-38.6] kg/m²; estimated glomerular filtration rate = 28.0 [20.0-31.5] mL/min/1.73 m³). Thematic content analysis was performed using qualitative data from focus groups conducted before and after the intervention. Combined quantitative and qualitative methods were triangulated using data from the Intuitive Eating Scale-2.

Results: Eight categories emerged from the preintervention (factors that influence eating and living, diet culture, feelings of ambivalence and/or stagnation, and understanding one's limitations) and postintervention periods (appreciation for the different approach, awakening self-confidence, eating attunement, and discovering a new way to eat). The Intuitive Eating Scale-2 factors concur with the preintervention and postintervention categories, contributing to the transition from a less to more intuitive eating profile.

Conclusion: Behavioral intervention raised positive eating experiences that aligned with a more intuitive way of eating. Patients felt more empowered to accept and manage the disease. These results may contribute to changes in the adherence paradigm in nondialysis CKD.