Knowledge, attitude, and practice of obesity and its prevalence among undergraduate medical students at Qassim University, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of obesity among medical students at the Medical College of Qassim University and assess their knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) regarding obesity. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among medical students at Qassim University, College of Medicine. The survey included questions about participants' demographics, body mass index (BMI), knowledge about obesity, attitude toward obesity, and practices related to obesity. Results: A total of 205 medical students participated in this survey. The occurrence rates of excess weight and obesity stood at 23.9% and 8.3%, respectively. The majority of the participants (84.4%) had a high level of knowledge about obesity, 74.1% had a moderate attitude level, and 66.8% had poor practice. Conclusion: Being overweight or obese was prevalent among the medical students at Qassim University, with significant differences between males and females. Moreover, they had low levels of practice with good and moderate knowledge and attitude levels, respectively. It was concluded that it is important to evaluate obesity interventions by policymakers for their importance to people's health and for changing bad habits to save lives and preserve government resources.