Table 3 Emerging facilitators and barriers participants felt impacted their ability to adhere to intervention guidelines for diet and/or activity behaviors

Individual

Attitudes

Expressing a positive opinion of the intervention or behavioral guidelines within it

Desire for knowledge, positive initial mindset, changes in self-perception, Paid for it

Expressing a negative opinion of the intervention or behavioral guidelines within it

Negative self-perception,

competing priorities (work outside the home, work inside the home, life events, inner food cues), feeling over-whelmed, unwilling to change

Concern for health

Intervention provided a means for a participant to take control of their health for the better

Current health,

Avoiding future diagnosis

Concern for or presence of physical and mental complications to changing behaviors

Physical state, Feeling low

Physical changes

Positive view of physical changes or abilities with intervention adherence

Body shape, brain-body connections (vitality, satiety)

Over emphasis or expectations on changes in body shape

Focus on weight

Environment

Social support

Physical, practical and emotional support from others for behavioral change or maintenance

Within the intervention,

within the home,

outside of the home (at work, peers)

Lack of physical, practical and emotional support from others for behavioral change or maintenance

Within the intervention, within the home, outside of the home (at work, peers)

Social accountability

Maintaining behavioral adherence based on internalized pressure or accountability towards other people

Participation guilt, being a role model, changing for others

Difficulty overcoming traditional norms or expectations on diet and/or PA activities around other people

Opposing social norms

Changeable community aspects

Presence of infrastructure and physical spaces with the community that support adherence and can be targeted through interventions or policy

Built environment

Lacking infrastructure or physical spaces with the community that facilitate practice of new diet or activity behaviors that can be targeted by interventions or policy

Built environment, cost,

Unchangeable community aspects

Factors unique to a community that are not changeable by individuals that facilitate adherence

Weather

Factors unique to a community that are not changeable by individuals that hinder adherence

Weather

Intervention

Delivery and design

Positive opinions on the methods, physical spaces and delivery platforms used within an intervention that fostered adherence

Nearby location, inclusive spaces, flexible delivery routes, opportunities for social support (with peers, with professionals), support after the intervention period

Negative opinions on the methods, physical spaces and delivery platforms used within an intervention that hindered adherence

Far away sites, opportunities for stigma, one size fits all, limited social engagement (with participants), Intervention reliance

Content

Opinions on aspects of intervention information and how it was portrayed that supported diet or activity adherence

Perceived credibility, lifestyle management,

clarity in messaging, tailoring

Opinions on aspects of intervention information and how it was portrayed that hindered diet or activity adherence

Distrust, lack of tailoring, lack of activity information, unclear messaging

Fostering self-regulation (BCT)

Active ingredients within the intervention that fostered engagement and gain of self-regulatory skills

Feedback and monitoring (self-monitoring, professional monitoring),

demonstrations, forming habits, tangible rewards, goals and planning (goal setting, planning ahead)