Background: Obesity is a major global public health problem contributing to the rising burden of non-communicable diseases. Adults are particularly vulnerable to obesity-related complications such as diabetes mellitus, hypertension, cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoarthritis, and certain cancers. Despite this, knowledge regarding risk factors, hazards, and preventive measures among adults remains suboptimal. Objectives: To assess the knowledge of risk factors, hazards, and preventive measures of obesity among adults. Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 210 adults aged 20–60 years selected through convenient sampling. Data were collected using a predesigned, pretested structured questionnaire covering socio-demographic profile, awareness of obesity, dietary and lifestyle-related risk factors, associated hazards, and preventive measures. Descriptive statistics were used to summarize data, and chi-square tests were applied to examine associations between socio-demographic variables and knowledge levels. Results: Out of 210 participants, 80% had heard about obesity and 67.6% recognized its increasing prevalence among adults. Knowledge of dietary risk factors was relatively high, with 74.3% identifying overeating and 84.8% identifying fried food consumption as contributors. Overall knowledge categorization revealed that 27.6% had good knowledge, 46.7% fair, and 25.7% poor knowledge. Conclusions: Adults demonstrated moderate awareness of obesity, with better recognition of dietary and lifestyle-related risk factors compared to hazards and preventive measures. The findings highlight significant knowledge gaps, particularly regarding long-term complications and preventive practices. Targeted community health education and workplace wellness programs are essential to bridge the gap between knowledge and practice for effective obesity prevention and control.
Singh et al. (Tue,) studied this question.