Indian Journal of Public Health Research & Development
  • Year: 2016
  • Volume: 7
  • Issue: 1

Knowledge, Attitude, Ignorance and Practice of Obese Malaysians towards Obesity

1Faculty of Pharmacy and Health Sciences I Tasek Premise, Universiti Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: Dr. Vishal B Badgujar, Royal College of Medicine Perak, No. 24, 26 & 28, Lebuh Perusahaan Klebang 1, IGB International Industrial Park, Off Jalan Kuala Kangsar, 30100 Ipoh, Perak, MALAYSIA T: +605-2921335 ext. no. 403 I F: +605-2921676 | HP: +6017-3352304, Email: badgujar@unikl.edu.my

Online published on 16 January, 2016.

Abstract

Malaysia has been characterized apical obese nation among the Asian countries. In 2010, the WHO has ranked Malaysia as the sixth country that has the highest obesity rate in Asia. Meanwhile, different aspects of obesity amongst the obese Malaysians has not been studied recently. Hence this study was designed to determine the intensity of obesity and knowledge, factors of rising obesity, awareness, reasons of ignorance and practice amongst obese Malaysians. This community based cross sectional study was conducted through questionnaire in various states of Malaysia in 2014. A purposive sampling method and software such as Microsoft Excel 2013, Prism 5.0 and SPSS 17.0 were used for statistical analysis. The reliability and construct validity was envisaged by Cronbach's alpha. Although obese Malaysians are aware about obesity and its complications their practice towards it is not extensive, so more awareness programs are needed to control the intensifying obesity in Malaysia.

Keywords

obesity, Malaysia, awareness, ignorance, knowledge, attitude