All issues > Volume 45(12); 2002

Original Article

J Korean Pediatr Soc. 2002;45(12):1491-1496. Published online December 15, 2002.

A Study on Awareness and Knowledge of Obesity, Life Style, and Eating Habits According to Body Mass Index in High School Students

Mi Jung MJ Kim¹, Kwang Hae KH Choi¹, Kyeong Soo KS Lee²

¹Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea
²Department of Preventive Medicine, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University, Daegu, Korea

Correspondence Kwang Hae KH Choi ,Email: ckh@med.yu.ac.kr

Abstract

Purpose
: This study was performed to investigate the level of obesity awareness and to help to prevent and to treat obesity by examining the relationship between knowledge of obesity and life style.
Methods
: Of the students who were surveyed, 1514 answered seriously and were accepted as subjects for the study. The questionaire was anonymous and was filled in by the students themselves. Body mass index was used to compare and analyze the subjects according to gender and age, with 85 percentiles or lower as group one, 86-94 percentiles as group two, and 95 percentiles or higher as group three.
Results
: Among the boys, level of obesity-awareness was significantly higher(P<0.01) in the obese group than in the normal-weight group. Among the girls, there was no difference in the level of obesity-awareness among the groups(P=0.332). The knowledge of obesity between the groups was not significantly different in either boys or girls. As for the relationship between healthy eating habits and knowledge of obesity, there were no significant differences in either boys or girls. There was no significant difference between the habit of regular exercise and the knowledge level of obesity in either boys or girls.
Conclusion
: Although this was a localized study and the students were aware of the seriousness of obesity to a certain extent, there was no difference in knowledge of obesity between normal-weight students and obese students. Also, there was no relationship between knowledge of obesity and healthy eating habits or the presence/absence of regular exercises.

Keywords :Obesity, Eating habit, Life style, Knowledge, High school