Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Obesity Among Preclinical Students of the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Obesity is becoming a fast-rising epidemic which is affecting both developed and developing countries of the world. It is a major risk factor for numerous chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type-II diabetes, gallbladder diseases, and various malignancies and impairs quality of life. It is also a leading cause of death. This study aimed to determine the knowledge, attitude and practice of obesity among preclinical students of the University of Benin, Edo state, Nigeria. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study recruited 324 preclinical students of the University of Benin. A self-administered questionnaire on knowledge, attitude and practice of obesity among obese individuals was used to obtain information from the participants. The data was analyzed using the descriptive statistics of percentage and frequency. Inferential statistics, Mann Whitney U tests were used for significant associations between the variables. The alpha level was set at 0.05 and all analysis was carried out using SPSS version 24.0. Results and Conclusion: The results showed that a larger percentage of the participants 276(85.2%) had adequate knowledge of obesity while a majority of the participants 232 (71.2%) demonstrated negative attitudes towards obesity. A large number of the participants 315 (96.6%) had a poor practice regarding obesity. This study also showed that a statistically significant difference was observed between male and female preclinical undergraduates regarding knowledge, attitude and practice of obesity.