Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Obesity Among Young Adults

Abstract

Significance/Background: Young people 18-24 are at an age when they could be well physically fit however a lot of American youth are having excessive body weight. Current generation of young adults is gaining weight faster than any age group comparably to previous generations.Purpose/Aim: This study examined differences in knowledge and attitudes towards obesity and its comorbidities among young adults who have healthy weight and those who are overweight or obese. Methods: University students were asked to complete the ORK-10 and OBS questionnaires about their knowledge and beliefs towards obesity. IBM SPSS 29 software was used for statistical analysis utilizing descriptive statistics and analyzing differences between variables (ORK-10 and OBS scores and students BMI categories). Results: A total of 100 surveys were provided in pen and paper to undergraduate students, 49% students were of healthy weight (BMI 18.5-24.9), 34% students were identified as overweight (BMI 25-29.9) and 17% met a category of obese (BMI >=30). Similar to the other studies on the topic, this study’s results show that young adults have an insufficient knowledge of obesity risks. They have a strong agreement with the detrimental effects of obesity on health, they moderately agree with negative effect of obesity on social life, and they have neutral attitudes towards cost/barriers of maintaining healthy weight. The results were not statistically significant. Implication for Practice: The results of the study will guide the young adults’ obesity related education and obesity management by healthcare providers. Future studies are recommended to replicate this study with the larger sample size and in a few different locations which can yield more significant results.