Factors Influencing Overweight and Obesity Among Nursing Students in Borommarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Si Thammarat

Abstract

     This predictive correlational research aimed to study 1) the level of knowledge about nutrition, social support, and health behaviors and 2) the factors influencing overweight and obesity among nursing students at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Si Thammarat. the population used in this study was 160 nursing students. The questionnaire was administered by experts with a content consistency between 0.67 and 1.00. The KR-20 value was 0.86 for social support and health behaviors with Cronbach's alpha coefficients of 0.80 and 0.91, respectively.

     The results of the study revealed that nursing students had a high level of nutritional knowledge (63.13%). The overall level of social support was moderate (M = 3.23, SD = 0.45), and the overall level of health behavior was moderate (M = 2.83, SD = 0.33). Regarding the factors influencing overweight and obesity among nursing students at Boromarajonani College of Nursing, Nakhon Si Thammarat, it was found that students who had family members with overweight or obesity were 53% less likely to be obese themselves compared to those without such family history (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.24–0.94). Furthermore, students who had a moderate level of rest and sleep behavior were 65% less likely to be obese compared to those with a low level of rest and sleep behavior (OR = 0.35, 95% CI = 0.14–0.84).

     Suggestion: Nursing students who are overweight or obese may not be concerned or aware of the dangers of obesity and may not recognize the importance of physical activity for weight control. It may be necessary to enhance motivation by providing rewards to those who initiate regular physical activity and achieve at least one level of weight reduction from their baseline within one month.