An Assessment of Obesity-Related Knowledge and Beliefs Among Overweight and Obese Hispanic Women in an Urban Phoenix Health Center

Abstract

Reducing obesity remains a public health priority of urgent necessity. In an effort to address this need and plan future health interventions, a survey of obesity-related knowledge and beliefs was administered in a small population of Hispanic women in an urban Phoenix health center. This paper describes the project design and project findings. A cross sectional univariate descriptive design was conducted by administration of Obesity Risk Knowledge Survey (ORK-10) and the Obesity Belief Scale (OBS). Self-administered surveys were provided to patients during regularly scheduled health visits at the Wesley Health Center in Downtown Phoenix. Participants included 12 Hispanic women aged 18 years or older, with a body mass index greater than 25. Results from the OBS scale were analyzed to evaluate whether respondents held positive or negative beliefs in the OBS subscales. The Theory of Planned Behavior then served as a model to guide evaluation of the findings from the OBS subscales. Results of the ORK-10 were calculated for overall score, with higher scores associated with greater obesity knowledge (range 2 - 8, (mean (S.D.) = 5.3(1.8)). Findings from the OBS subscales were assess on 7 point Likert scale. The Health Beliefs subscale responses were overwhelmingly positive while the Social and Aesthetic Beliefs and Cost subscale scores were found to have negative beliefs. Results from the survey did not reflect positive intention among the participants. While attitude toward the behavior was overwhelmingly positive among survey participants, social behavior norms, and perceived control were reflected negatively by survey responses. Based on The Theory of Planned Behavior negative responses in any of these categories suggests that population has negative intention and is thus incapable of successful behavior change.