Clients' experience of brief lifestyle interventions by community nurses

Lifestyle modification interventions in primary health care settings are an important means of addressing lifestyle risk factors. An essential factor for the success of lifestyle advice is the client's acceptance. Lifestyle interventions offered in general practice are well accepted by clients. However, little is known about how lifestyle interventions are accepted if offered by community nurses in the client's home. This study investigates the experience and perspectives of clients who were offered brief lifestyle interventions from community nurses, based on the 5As model. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 clients who had received brief lifestyle interventions from community nurses as part of a larger intervention trial. All clients perceived the provision of lifestyle interventions to be an appropriate part of the community nurses' role. The advice and support offered was useful only to some, depending on personal preferences, experiences, perceived lifestyle risk and self-rated health. Offering brief lifestyle interventions did not affect the rapport between client and nurse and this puts community nurses in an ideal place to address lifestyle issues that can sometimes be sensitive. However, client-centredness must be emphasised to improve clients' uptake of lifestyle advice and support.