Abstract
Background/aim We aimed to develop an instrument that can assess the perceptions and opinions of young people regarding the causes and consequences of obesity and the role of individuals, families, communities, and government in addressing obesity.Materials and methods A 36-question (101-item) survey was developed by adopting, translating, and revising multiple-choice or Likert-scale questions from existing surveys to assure construct cross-cultural validity. A two-factor mixed-effects model estimated the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) to measure the test-retest reliability of questions administered 2 weeks apart to a convenient sample of İstanbul high school and university students, aged 15–25 years (n = 122).ResultsThe mean ICC for university and high school was 0.70 and 0.63, respectively. University students were more consistent in relating the problem to society and public policy preferences. High school students were more consistent in relating the problem and solution to themselves and their immediate environments. Using a 0.5 cutoff for the ICC’s lower 95% confidence limit, followed by reevaluation of the question flow, a 19-question (36-item) survey was retained for adolescents and a 26-question (52-item) survey for young adults.ConclusionWhile the survey items have moderate to excellent reliability for high school and university students, it can be administered longitudinally to suggest changes to policies and interventions, and after cross-cultural validation, it can be utilized to compare obesity perceptions across different populations.
Highlights
Having doubled in more than 70 countries since 1980, an estimated 5% of children (108 million) and 12% of adults (604 million) are currently obese [1]; the prevalence is higher among women [2]
High school students were more consistent in relating the problem and solution to themselves and their immediate environments
Using a 0.5 cutoff for the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC)’s lower 95% confidence limit, followed by reevaluation of the question flow, a 19-question (36-item) survey was retained for adolescents and a 26-question (52-item) survey for young adults
Summary
Having doubled in more than 70 countries since 1980, an estimated 5% of children (108 million) and 12% of adults (604 million) are currently obese [1]; the prevalence is higher among women [2]. Obesity burden is generally higher in developed countries, the proportional contribution of each underlying cause varies by region, country, and community [2]. While 27.8% of adults in Turkey are obese, 34.1% are overweight. A mixture of problems from developing and developed countries can presumably contribute to Turkey’s obesity burden, which has been worsening steadily since the 1990s [9]. In addition to the healthcare costs of obesity-related chronic diseases, Turkey currently spends $5 billion annually in support of an emerging, lucrative industry of weight-loss products, online support groups, and dietitians.. In addition to the healthcare costs of obesity-related chronic diseases, Turkey currently spends $5 billion annually in support of an emerging, lucrative industry of weight-loss products, online support groups, and dietitians. Various studies have explored obesity prevalence in Turkish adults [9,10]
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