24Jan 2018

ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHILD OBESITY IN RIYADH POPULATION, SAUDI ARABIA.

  • Medical interns.
Crossref Cited-by Linking logo

  • Abstract
  • References
  • Cite This Article as
  • Corresponding Author

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.

  1. Karnik, S. and Kanekar, A. (2012) ?Childhood obesity: a global public health crisis.?,?International journal of preventive medicine. Medknow Publications, 3(1), pp. 1?7.
  2. Dehghan M, Akhtar-Danesh N, Merchant AT. Childhood obesity, prevalence and prevention. Nutr J. 2005;4:24.
  3. James PT. Obesity: the worldwide epidemic. Clin Dermatol. 2004;22:276-80.
  4. Alshammari Al-Shammari Yf, Y. F. F. (2014) ?Attitudes and practices of primary care physicians in the management of overweight and obesity in eastern saudi arabia.?,?International journal of health sciences. Qassim University, 8(2), pp. 151?8.
  5. El Mouzan, M. I.?et al.?(2010) ?Prevalence of overweight and obesity in Saudi children and adolescents.?,?Annals of Saudi medicine. Medknow Publications, 30(3), pp. 203?8.
  6. Amir H. PakpourI; Mir Saeed YekaninejadII; Hui ChenIII???Mothers' perception of obesity in schoolchildren?J. Pediatr. (Rio J.)?vol.87?no.2?Porto Alegre?Mar./Apr.?2011
  7. Daniels SR, Arnett DK, Eckel RH, Gidding SS, Hayman LL, Kumanyika S, et al. Overweight in children and adolescents: pathophysiology, consequences, prevention, and treatment. Circulation. 2005;111:1999-2012.
  8. Mossberg HO. 40-year follow-up of overweight children. Lancet. 1989;2:491-3.
  9. Must A, Jacques PF, Dallal GE, Bajema CJ, Dietz WH. Long-term morbidity and mortality of overweight adolescents. A follow-up of the Harvard Growth Study of 1922 to 1935. N Engl J Med. 1992;327:1350-
  10. Power C, Lake JK, Cole TJ. Measurement and long term health risks of child and adolescent fatness. Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord. 1997;21:507-26.
  11. Freedman DS, Dietz WH, Srinivisan SR, Berenson GS. The relation of overweight to cardiovascular risk factors among children and adolescents: The Bogalusa Heart Study. Pediatrics. 1999;103:1175-82.
  12. Wang G, Dietz WH. Economic burden of obesity in youths aged 6 to 17 years: 1979-1999. Pediatrics. 2002;109:E81-1.
  13. Sahoo, K.?et al.?(2015) ?Childhood obesity: causes and consequences.?,?Journal of family medicine and primary care. Medknow Publications, 4(2), pp. 187?92. doi: 10.4103/2249-4863.154628.
  14. Lindsay AC, Sussner KM, Kim J, Gortmaker S. The role of parents in preventing childhood obesity. Future Child. 2006;16:169-86.
  15. Salama, A., Elhawary, D. and El-Nmer, F. (2014) ?Nutritional knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents and its impact on growth of their children?,Menoufia Medical Journal. Medknow Publications and Media Pvt. Ltd., 27(3), p. 612. doi: 10.4103/1110-2098.145529.
  16. Al-Mohaimeed, A. A. (2016) ?Parents? perception of children?s obesity, in Al-Qassim, Saudi Arabia.?,?Journal of family & community medicine. Medknow Publications, 23(3), pp. 179?83. doi: 10.4103/2230-8229.189134.
  17. Baughcum AE, Chamberlin LA, Deeks CM, Powers SW, Whitaker RC. Maternal perceptions of overweight preschool children. Pediatrics. 2000;106:1380-6.
  18. Jain A, Sherman SN, Chamberlain LA, Carter Y, Powers SW, Whitaker RC. Why don't low-income mothers worry about their preschoolers being overweight? Pediatrics. 2001;107:1138-46.
  19. He M, Evans A. Are parents aware that their children are overweight or obese? Do they care?? Can Fam Physician. 2007;53:1493-9.
  20. Myers S, Vargas Z. Parental perceptions of the preschool obese child. Pediatr nurs. 2000;26:23-30.
  21. Etelson D, Brand DA, Patrick PA, Shirali A. Childhood obesity: do parents recognize this health risk? Obes Res. 2003;11:1362-8.
  22. Golan M. Parents as agents of change in childhood obesity-from research to practice. Int J Pediatr Obes. 2006;1:66-76.
  23. Prospective Studies Collaboration. "Body-mass index and cause-specific mortality in 900 000 adults: collaborative analyses of 57 prospective studies."?The Lancet?373.9669 (2009): 1083-1096.‏
  24. Reilly, John J. "Childhood obesity: An overview."?Children & Society21.5 (2007): 390-396.‏
  25. Pakpour, Amir H., Mir Saeed Yekaninejad, and Hui Chen. "Mothers' perception of obesity in schoolchildren: a survey and the impact of an educational intervention."?Jornal de pediatria?87.2 (2011): 169-174.‏
  26. Post, Robert E., et al. "Patient understanding of body mass index (BMI) in primary care practices: a two-state practice-based research (PBR) collaboration."?The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine?28.4 (2015): 475-480.
  27. Reilly, John J. "Childhood obesity: An overview."?Children & Society21.5 (2007): 390-396.‏
  28. Hatta, Nur Khairul Bariyyah Mohd, et al. "Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among Mothers Regarding Childhood Obesity at Kuantan, Malaysia."?International Medical Journal?24.2 (2017): 200-204.‏
  29. Mabiala Babela, Jean Robert, et al. "Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents Facing Child and Adolescent Obesity in Brazzaville, Congo."?Global pediatric health?3 (2016): 2333794X16675546.‏
  30. Qidwai, Waris, and Syed Iqbal Azam. "Knowledge, attitude and practice regarding obesity among patients, at Aga Khan University Hospital, Karachi."?J Ayub Med Coll Abbottabad?16.3 (2004): 32-4.‏
  31. Herrera, Blanca M., and Cecilia M. Lindgren. "The genetics of obesity."?Current diabetes reports?10.6 (2010): 498-505.‏
  32. Pulgaron, Elizabeth R., and Alan M. Delamater. "Obesity and type 2 diabetes in children: epidemiology and treatment."?Current diabetes reports?14.8 (2014): 508.‏
  33. Goris, Janny M., et al. "Television food advertising and the prevalence of childhood overweight and obesity: a multicountry comparison."?Public health nutrition?13.7 (2010): 1003-1012.‏
  34. Fuemmeler, Bernard F., et al. "Parental obesity moderates the relationship between childhood appetitive traits and weight."?Obesity21.4 (2013): 815-823.‏
  35. Zhao, Pei, et al. "Maternal gestational diabetes and childhood obesity at age 9?11: results of a multinational study."?Diabetologia59.11 (2016): 2339-2348.‏
  36. Schwartz, Alan R., et al. "Obesity and obstructive sleep apnea: pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic approaches."?Proceedings of the American Thoracic Society?5.2 (2008): 185-192.‏
  37. Re, Richard N. "Obesity-related hypertension."?The Ochsner Journal9.3 (2009): 133-136.‏
  38. Karnik, Sameera, and Amar Kanekar. "Childhood obesity: a global public health crisis."?International journal of preventive medicine?3.1 (2012): 1.‏
  39. AlOtaibi, Faiza Nasser, et al. "Childhood and adolescent obesity: Primary Health Care Physicians? perspectives from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia."?Pakistan journal of medical sciences?33.1 (2017): 100.‏
  40. Woods, Catherine, Niall Moyna, and Aoileann Quinlan. "The children?s sport participation and physical activity study (CSPPA study)." (2010).‏
  41. Mahajan, Preetam B., et al. "Study of childhood obesity among school children aged 6 to 12 years in union territory of Puducherry."?Indian journal of community medicine: official publication of Indian Association of Preventive & Social Medicine?36.1 (2011): 45.‏

[Abeer Ali Alkhalaf, Rawan Eid Alrwili And Hissah Ayidh Alshalawi. (2018); ASSESSMENT OF KNOWLEDGE AND ATTITUDE TOWARDS CHILD OBESITY IN RIYADH POPULATION, SAUDI ARABIA. Int. J. of Adv. Res. 6 (Jan). 1387-1395] (ISSN 2320-5407). www.journalijar.com

Abeer Ali Alkhalaf
Medical intern At Princess Noura University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

DOI:

Article DOI: 10.21474/IJAR01/6363      
DOI URL: https://dx.doi.org/10.21474/IJAR01/6363

Download Full Paper

Download PDF No. of Downloads: 57 | No. of Views: 210