World Health Organization (1996) described obesity and over weight as one of the today’s important public health problem in developed and developing countries undergoing economic and nutrition transition. The prevalence of overweight and obesity among children and adolescents has significantly increased in developed and developing countries during the past 2 decades. This trend is of serious concern, given the consequences that are associated with child hood and adolescent obesity both during adolescence and adult life. Obesity is an excess body weight due to fat deposition as compared to set standards of body weight. Body mass index is a practical indicator of the severity of obesity.

Mortality and morbidity ratio vary with the distribution of body fat, with the highest risk link to excessive abdominal fat called as central obesity.

Prevalence of obesity varies among countries depending upon environmental and behavioural changes brought about by economic development, modernization and urbanization. The variation in prevalence of obesity academic in various races and communities of the world may be attributed to heredity, age, sex, diet. Eating pattern, life style behaviour. Obesity develops as a result of a complex interaction between a person genes and the environment characterized by long term energy imbalance due to excessive calorie consumption, insufficient energy output or both. A virus AD-36 found in obese individual may be an additional factor to the escalating prevalence of obesity (Afridi AK et al )

OBJECTIVES:

1. To assess the knowledge of junior college students on obesity.

2. To develop structured teaching program on obesity.

3. To assess the effectiveness of structured teaching program on obesity

4. To find out the association between knowledge and selected variables.

METHODOLOGY:

Research approach:

A quantitative research approach is used for the present study.

Research design:

One group-pre-test post-test was adopted.

Research setting:

The study was conducted in Sri Chaitanya Junior Kalasala, Narayanaguda, Hyderabad.

Sample:

The total sample consist of 30 students who fulfill the inclusion criteria.

Sampling technique:

Simple Random sampling technique was used to collect sample from the population of 650 students of Sri Chaitanya junior college, Narayanaguda, Hyderabad.

Ethical Consideration:

Ethical clearance was obtained from Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences ethical committee. The permission was obtained from Principal Sri Chaitanya Junior Kalasala and consent was obtained from all the subjects.

Development of Tool:

Structures questionnaire was developed with the help of related literature from text books, journals and discussion with experts in the field of nursing and nutrition. It consist of two parts

Part- A: deals with the Demographic data of junior college students such as age, sex, education, religion, family income, type of accommodation, family history of obesity, body mass index.

Part-B: deals with assessment of knowledge on obesity with 45 items.

The reliability of the tool was determined by test re-test method. The correlation coefficient (“r”) was calculated by using Carl person formula. The “r” value for test re-test was 0.95. The interpretation of knowledge score is determined as below average(less than 33.3%), average33.4-66.6%) and above average (66.7%).

RESULTS:

Table 1: frequency and percentage distribution of junior college students according to the demographic data N=30

Sl no

Demographic variables

Frequency (f)

Age

15-16 years

17-18 years

More than 19

73.33

26.66

Sex

Male

Female

46.7

53.3

Education

Junior intermediate

Senior intermediate

56.7

43.3

Group

Bi.P.C

M.P.C

C.E.C

M.E.C

46.7

20.0

16.7

Family income per month

Less than 5000

5001-7000

7001-9000

More than 9000

13.3

53.3

33.3

Religion

Hindu

Muslim

Christian

Others

76.7

13.3

Type of accommodation

Home

Hostel

Bachelor room

Paying guest

43.3

56.7

Family history of obesity

Parents

Sibling

Grand parents

Close relatives

No history

20.0

6.7

16.7

56.6

Body Mass Index

≤ 24

25-29

30-40

≥40

Table 1 shows the findings that most of the students 73.33% were in the age group of 15-16 years and most of them were females (53.33%), maximum students were from Bi. P.C group (46.66%), 53.33%of the junior college students having their monthly family income ranging between 7001 rupees to 9000 rupees, 56.66% of students stay in the hostel accommodation. many of them (56.66%) did not present with the family history of Obesity and majority of the students (90%) BMI is below 24.

Table-2 frequency and percentage distribution of knowledge in pre-test and post- test scores on obesity N=30

Level

of knowledge

Pre-test

Post-test

Frequency

Below average

Average

Above average

43.3

56.7

100

Table 2 shows that in the pre-test 56.6% of the junior college students knowledge was average and 43.3% of the has below average whereas the knowledge level was increases in the post-test to 100%.

Table 3: Junior college students pre-test and post-test mean knowledge scores and paired t test of significance on obesity N=30

Knowledge score

Pre test

Post test

Mean

Standard deviation

Paired t-test

16.63

5.45

40.10

1.00

23.46

29df table value-2.05 (P <0.05)

Table 3 shows that the pre-test mean knowledge score as 16.61 (36.95%) and post-test mean knowledge score as 40.10 (89.1%). The calculated t value is 23.46 which is higher than the table t value 2.05 at 29 degrees of freedom with 0.05 level of significance. It shows that there is significant difference (P <0.05) in pre-test and post-test knowledge scores. The junior college students pre-test and post-test mean knowledge scores and paired t test of significance shows the effectiveness of structured teaching program in each area of obesity.

Table 4: junior college students pre-test and post-test mean knowledge scores and paired t test of significance in each area N=30

Area of knowledge	Pre-test		Post-test		T
	Mean	S.D	Mean	S.D
Knowledge on meaning, causes, risk factors.	7.1	2.4	16.86	0.3	23.23
Knowledge on diagnosis and management	3.9	2.4	8.16	1.7	10.01
Knowledge on control and prevention	5.63	2.8	15.06	2.3	32.96

29df Table value-2.05 (P< 0.05)

Table 4 describes that in all the areas of knowledge the post-test mean knowledge scores are higher than the pre-test. All areas have got the calculated t values higher than the table value (2.05). this shows the significant difference in the pre-test and the post-test scores of the junior college students. Thus it is concluded that the following the structured teaching program on obesity will increase the knowledge scores of the junior college students. The formulated null hypothesis for the present study “There will be no significant difference in the pre- test and post-test knowledge scores of students on obesity” has been rejected due to significant difference in the pre-test and post-test knowledge scores.

IMPLICATIONS:

Nursing Practice:

Nurses who are in contact with individuals at various settings like hospitals, community can educated patients, relatives and students etc. to prevent obesity

Nursing Education:

By organizing continuous nursing education, conference, seminar, work shop can help to equip the nursing professional with better knowledge and actively participating in prevention and control of obesity.

Nursing Research:

The nurse researchers may conduct various research activities in relation to the prevention and control of obesity among children and adults.

RECOMMENDATIONS:

A similar study can be conducted on staff nurses, on a large sample, in school children.

REFERENCES:

1. Dr. M. Swamynathan. Hand book of food and nutrition. 5^th ed. Bangalore, 2005

2. K. Park. preventive and social medicine. 18ed. New Delhi. Jaypee Publications. 2006

3. www.nature.com

4. www.patient.co.in.uk

5. www.sciencedirect.com

6. www.wikipedia.com

7. www.pubmed.com

Received on 18.03.2014 Modified on 02.05.2014

Int. J. Nur. Edu. and Research 2(2): April- June 2014; Page 144-146