The obesity prevention behavior among the first year female-students of faculty of public health, Mahidol university, Thailand

Abstract

Obesity in adolescents has become a growing public health problem both in urban and rural areas of developing countries like Thailand. The purpose of this study was to assess the prevention behavior of obesity and to study the associations of general characteristics, attitude to obesity prevention, subjective norms, perceived controlled behavior and intention to control weight with actual obesity prevention behavior among the first-year female students of Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University, Thailand. This cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey over a period of 4 weeks in the month of March-April 2020 and the respondents were 122 first-year female students of Faculty of Public Health, Mahidol University. Regarding obesity prevention behavior, more than two-thirds of the students (70.5%) had fair behavior, while 14.8% had poor behavior, and 14.8% of them equally had good behavior. Chi-square test revealed that parents' marital status and parental norms were associated with obesity prevention behavior (p<0.05). However, attitude to obesity prevention, peer norms, perceived controlled behavior and intention to control weight were not associated with obesity prevention behavior. In spite of having fair behavior, nearly about one-third of the students had misconception regarding diet and exercise. In conclusion, parental norms were associated with obesity prevention behavior. It is evident that to improve the obesity prevention behavior identified associated factors should be improved, for instance, health education and intervention programs regarding healthy diet practice and exercise should be conducted involving their parents.