Background: Overweight and obesity are defined as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Prevalence of obesity is increasing worldwide at an alarming rate in both developing and developed countries. Nowadays, college students are highly exposed to unhealthy eating habits leading to weight gain. Hence, this study attempts to know the knowledge and their practice toward obesity among 1st year MBBS students of Belgaum Institute of Medical Sciences, Belgaum.
Aims and Objectives: The aim is to study the assessment of the knowledge and practices toward obesity among 1st year medical students.
Materials and Methods: After obtaining the ethical committee clearance, this cross-sectional study was conducted among 1st year medical students of BIMS, in October 2013. The students who were willing to participate were enrolled in the study. After obtaining the informed written consent, they were administered semi-structured questionnaire. Frequency distributions and percentages were calculated for the variables.
Results: In the present study, majority of the participants have correct knowledge on different aspects of obesity and opined that the lifestyle modification is an important aspect of prevention and management of obesity. However, 90% did not knew the correct intake of fruits, vegetables, and the duration of exercise for good health, and their practices were incorrect in this regard.
Conclusion: Students were aware of obesity and its complications. However, their practice toward it was not satisfactory. Lifestyle modifications and improvement in the dietary habits should be emphasized to reduce the incidence of overweight and obesity.
Key words: Knowledge; Medical Students; Obesity; Practice
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