Knowledge about the Complications of Obesity in People and effect of Training Booklet to Increase their Awareness

The relationship between weight and health, is a complex process. About 31% of people between 20 and 79 years are obese (6), but body fat distribution is important, so that fat excess in the abdomen, increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Men with waist more than 102cm and women with waist more than 85cm or those with BMI = 35 or higher (even without identity waist), are in health risk (1). Factors such as tobacco misuse, increasing LDL, decreasing HDL, reducing the daily activities and positive family history… with obesity, increase the risk of diseases (7). Increasing knowledge of people about these risk factors and avoid them, can reduce the risk of diseases - type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease - thus it’s be effective to increasing the useful life of people.

The purpose of this study was investigation of people’s knowledge about complications of obesity and influence of training booklet in their awareness. Also in this study, people’s comments were collected about increasing educational effects of training booklet.

This quasi-experimental study was done, in health centers of Boroujerd, 2009. In this study, 66 couples referred to health centers were selected by random sampling. Criteria for entering the study for couples, was having high BMI (more than 27) or abdominal obesity, data collected by questionnaires in two stages (before and after intervention), and were analyzed by SPSS13 software.

In this study, mean age was 38.8 years (with SD=10.7). The results showed that before education, awareness about the complications of obesity in people was low and 43.9% of people wasn't familiar with the complications of obesity and other people had low to moderate awareness.38% of people were not aware of the causes of obesity and about 58.5% of people were aware of causes of obesity, but were not informed how to control the factors. After studying of educational booklet, 69.7% to 77.3% of people had high to very high Knowledge about the complications and the causes of obesity and its risk factors and how to prevent obesity and its complications. In general 97%, were recommended the study of booklet to others.

With importance to prevalence of obesity and its role in increase dangerous diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases, the appropriate and accessible educational tools is essential to raise awareness of people.