Educational Interventions to Change Obesity Perceptions Among High School Students

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Küçük Yetgin M., Avşar P., Ağıllı Akın E., Pınar S.

Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine, cilt.54, ss.28-39, 2019 (Hakemli Dergi)

  • Yayın Türü: Makale / Tam Makale
  • Cilt numarası: 54
  • Basım Tarihi: 2019
  • Doi Numarası: 10.5152/tjsm.2019.149
  • Dergi Adı: Turkish Journal of Sports Medicine
  • Derginin Tarandığı İndeksler: TR DİZİN (ULAKBİM)
  • Sayfa Sayıları: ss.28-39
  • Marmara Üniversitesi Adresli: Evet

Özet

ABSTRACT

Objective: The aim of the study is to assess the changes in high school students’

perceptions about the causes and results of obesity, and possible solutions suggested

by the students who received a healthy lifestyle education intervention on physical

activity and nutrition.

Material and Methods: The study was conducted in an Anatolian High School which is

located in the District of Çankaya in Ankara Province. The study sample consisted of

139 volunteer high school students, including 62 males (45.60%) and 77 females

(55.40%). The age range of the students was between 14-16, and their mean body

mass index (BMI) was 20.6 kg/m2. These students received this intervention during a

period of one month. The Obesity Perception Questionnaire (Cronbach’s alpha:0.76)

was applied before and after the intervention. The analysis of the research data,

descriptive statistics as well as student t-test and one-way variance analysis were

carried out by SPSS software program. For all analyses p≤0.05 was adopted as the

significance level.

Results: The students’ perceptions were seen to improve with regard to the risks of

overweight, obesity, and diabetes for health following the intervention (p≤0.05). The

responsibility to solve the obesity problem was attributed to the family, food industry

and healthcare workers by the students while they realized the importance of taking

personal responsibility after the intervention (p≤.05). They also expressed that

governments should provide more opportunities for increasing physical activity at

schools (p≤.05).

Conclusion: Giving healthy lifestyle trainings on physical activity and nutrition to the

young creates differences in perceptions concerning the health risks of obesity and

taking personal responsibilities in the fight against it. In this sense, such interventions

are of vital importance and necessity in maintaining social health.

Keywords: Obesity, Perception, Health, Education, Physical Activity, Nutrition