KNOWLEDGE OF THE CAUSES OF OBESITY AND WEIGHT MANAGEMENT AMONG 200LEVEL NURSING STUDENTS IN MADONNA UNIVERSITY, ELELE RIVERS STATE

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is to assess the knowledge of the causes of obesity and weight management among 200 level nursing students in Madonna University, Elele Rivers state. Three specific objectives and research questions were formulated to guide the study; in terms of the level of knowledge of the causes of obesity among 200 level nursing students, the attitudes towards obesity and overweight people among 200 level nursing students and the weight management and health promoting lifestyle behaviours among 200 level nursing students in Madonna University. The target population for this study consists of student nurses in their second year of study in the department of nursing, Madonna University. The researcher made use of a descriptive survey research design using a self-designed questionnaire for data collection. The data was descriptively summarized with the use of frequency, percentages and tables. From the findings, more than half of the respondents (58.9%) have good knowledge of the causes of obesity. Also, 61.2% of the respondents have negative attitude on obese individuals while 38.% of the respondents have positive attitude. Furthermore, findings equally revealed that there is significant relationship between level of knowledge of nursing students about the causes of obesity and their health promoting lifestyles towards obesity. It was recommended that nurse practitioners have key roles in establishing weight‐loss targets, providing motivation and support, and implementing weight‐loss programs. This is because many individuals struggle to maintain weight loss, although strategies such as realistic goal‐setting and increased consultation frequency can greatly improve the success of weight‐management programs. Keywords: knowledge, causes, obesity, weight management, 200 level nursing students