ABSTRACT
Background and objectives: Obesity prevalence rates for adults are at an all-time high. This systematic review of the literature aimed to examine the practice patterns of nurse practitioners (NPs) related to weight management in primary care and recommend future areas of research as it relates to the diagnosis and management of patients with obesity by NPs.
Data sources: The databases CINAHL PLUS with Full Text, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and SPORTDiscuss were searched.
Conclusions: The initial search resulted in 169 articles. Fifteen peer-reviewed articles from 13 studies were included in the analysis. Four themes emerged from the analysis: approach to practice; the practitioner's role within the interdisciplinary team; communication; and resources and tools.
Implications for practice: This review was conducted to better understand the challenges and facilitators to the management of patients with obesity in primary care. Future research between NPs and variables related to obesity are necessary to further identify areas for education, training, and policy development.