ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHILD OBESITY IN RIYADH POPULATION, SAUDI ARABIA
| Main Authors: | Abeer Ali Alkhalaf, Rawan Eid Alrwili And Hissah Ayidh Alshalawi. |
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| Format: | Article eJournal |
| Terbitan: |
, 2018
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: |
https://zenodo.org/record/1174817 |
Daftar Isi:
- Background: in saudi arabia, children?s obesity is an alarming issue. The problem primarily relies on the ability of parents to recognize their child\'s overweight/obesity, and to be aware that obesity is a risk factor for long-term health issues. Several studies showed that many parents are not concerned about their children\'s body weight, because they either think too little of their child\'s body weight or believe that obesity is inherited, thus unmodifiable. Studies have suggested that targeting parents is a cost-effective strategy for the management of weight-related problems in children. Objectives: this study was aimed to assess the level of knowledge of riyadh population regarding child obesity and parents attitude toward their children weight. Methods: community based cross sectional study that was conducted on riyadh?s citizen aged 18 years and above, those who were under 18 years and health care workers were excluded from the study. Data was collected from 425 participants using interviewer-administered questionnaires and online surveys. Results: majority of participants (67%) were between 18-29 years old, only (39%) of the participants knew what body mass index is. 75% believe that weight gain in children is due to an unhealthy diet, while (57%) believe it?s a hereditary condition. (65%) believe that obese children can have low self-esteem, majority of participants (97%) believe that children?s obesity has complications, where we note that (95%)believe that obesity can be prevented. Regarding parents, only (19%) of the participants routinely measure their children?s bmi, (35%) believes that at least one of their children is obese, while (30%) demonstrated that their children have shown concerns regarding their body image. Conclusion: majority of the participants did not know what bmi is. On the other hand, majority of them knew the risk factors for obesity, as well as the complications. They also knew that obesity can be prevented.