Background
obesity, weight gain
OBESITY
Clinical research design has recently moved from controlled research environments to more real-world settings [Of the few weight management pragmatic clinical trials that include qualitative components, they are often conducted with trial patient participants, and do not solicit formal qualitative feedback from providers, staff members, or interventionists involved with trial implementation [Thus, the purpose of this qualitative study is to explore the barriers of and facilitators to the implementation of a pragmatic clinical weight gain prevention trial called Balance, from the perspectives of healthcare professionals with varying roles in the participating clinical sites. Interview questions solicited input on the challenges and successes of treating obesity within a complex community healthcare network; the weaknesses and strengths of the implementation of a pragmatic weight management trial within a network of Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs); and potential implications for disseminating the intervention to similar settings.