Table 2 Theme overview

Theme 1: Enhancing program recruitment and retention

Subthemes:

▪ Being clear on purpose and process

▪ Creating a sense of familiarity (e.g., terminology, technology)

▪ “The more that it feels like home and familiar, the more that [you create] that draw.” – Veteran

▪ “This is something that you should think about for people that are getting out, like your out-processing type of briefings.” – Veteran

▪ Belonging (IPT)

▪ Relatedness (SDT)

Theme 2: The perceived ability of a health promotion program to provide more holistic, veteran-centered care

Subthemes:

▪ Considering the whole person

▪ Proactive care

▪ Community-based setting versus typical health care facility

▪ “If we can say we’re interested in actually understanding what you’re passionate about so that we can program and strategically plan as an organization toward those types of things, it’d just be helpful.” – VA stakeholder

▪ Autonomy (SDT)

▪ Competence (SDT)

▪ Burdensomeness (IPT)

▪ Belonging (IPT)

▪ Relatedness (SDT)

Theme 3: Using health promotion programs to help veterans establish structure in their daily lives

Subthemes:

▪ Establishing a mission/purpose

▪ Building a support system

▪“We have to get past that barrier to get them to understand that they have to unlearn all this [military] stuff. It’s just like going through the military again. You’re re-learning how to live in a completely different way now.” – YMCA stakeholder

▪ “You change the way you think when you’re in and then you have to figure out how to change the way you think when you get out.” – VA stakeholder/veteran

▪ Autonomy (SDT)

▪ Competence (SDT)

▪ Burdensomeness (IPT)

▪ Belonging (IPT)

▪ Relatedness (SDT)