Healthcare for older adults with unintentional weight loss: perceptions of Primary Care professionals in São Paulo, Brazil

Abstract

Aging involves biological changes such as unintentional weight loss. This study aimed to understand primary care professionals’ perceptions of the nutritional status of older adults who are users of Primary Care Units, emphasizing unintentional weight loss and identifying possibilities for intervention by the interprofessional team. Seventeen individual interviews and one focus group were conducted in 2019 with health professionals in São Paulo, Brazil. Data were transcribed, submitted to thematic content analysis, and discussed in triangulation. Participants demonstrated difficulty in identifying older adults with unintentional weight loss. Challenges for care included food insecurity and problems in the work process in Primary Care, while possibilities for care involved health education, interprofessionality, and intersectoral work.