Development of a Questionnaire to Evaluate Knowledge and Attitude of Obesity and Weight Loss in Thai Overweight/Obese Medical Students: The Pilot Study

Abstract

Background: Medical students who will grow up as physicians will be role models for patients in health behaviors. However, some medical students are still overweight or obese. A weight reduction program can both decrease weight and change attitude about obesity and losing weight. Unfortunately, there is no validated questionnaire to measure knowledge and attitude about obesity and weight loss for our medical students. Objective: To develop a questionnaire for evaluation of knowledge and attitude toward obesity and weight loss in Thai overweight/obese medical students. Methods: We developed the questionnaire using Health Belief Model under consultation of two experts in obesity, biostatistics and epidemiology. Validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by the index of item-objective congruence under supervision of five experts. This pilot study was performed to test the internal consistency and reliability using Cronbach’s alpha coefficient. Twenty-seven medical students who self-reported as overweight or obese were included in this study. Results: A fifty-seven items questionnaire using five-point Likert scale was developed with the index of item-objective congruence of all items in presented questionnaire more than 60%. Cronbach’s alpha coefficients of all domains were in the range of 0.74-0.90 and overall standardized Cronbach’s coefficient of the questionnaire was 0.87. The average inter-item correlation of each domain was in acceptable range (0.21-0.62) although; those of the total scale were 0.12. Conclusion: Validity and reliability of this questionnaire were acceptable to be used for assessment of knowledge and attitude of obesity and losing weight in Thai overweight or obese medical students.