Survey of healthcare professionals in Samoa to evaluate their knowledge, attitude, and practice on managing obesity
Main Article Content
Keywords
obesity, healthcare professionals, knowledge, attitudes, practices, Samoa
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Introduction: The level of obesity among the Samoan adult population has doubled since 1978 for both men and women and is a serious public health issue.
Aim: To determine the knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) with regard to obesity among Samoan health professionals.
Methods: Interview front-line health workers in ten rural and one urban health facility using a developed questionnaire and observation of clinical practice. The sample comprised 130 (68%) registered nurses, 45 (24%) enrolled nurses and 15 (8%) doctors.
Findings: Most participants were well informed about the relation between obesity and non-communicable disease and were aware of the prevalence of obesity and related health risks. Contradictory advise was often given to patients about the maintenance of a healthy body weight
Discussion: There is a need to educate health workers on evidence-based weight management pathways and to develop patient care plans so overweight and obese persons attending health service facilities are informed effectively on how to lose weight.
References
2. World Health Organization. Obesity and overweight: Fact Sheet number 310. World Health Organization 2015. Accessed January 3, 2021. Htpp://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheet/fs310/en/
3. Zhang C., Rexrode KM, van Dam M, et al. Abdominal obesity and the risk of all-cause cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. Circulation 2008; 117: 1658-1667. DOI: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.107.739714
4. Zimmet P, Taft P, Guinea A, et al. The high prevalence of diabetes mellitus on a Central Pacific Island. Diabetologia 1977; 13:111-5. Doi: 10.1007/BF00745137.
5. Lin S, Naseri T, Linhart C, et al. Trends in diabetes and obesity in Samoa over 35 years, 1978-2013. Diabetic Medicine 2016. doi:10.1111/dme.13197
6. Samoa Bureau of Statistics. Population census brief no.1 population snapshot and household highlights. Government of Samoa 2016.
7. World Bank: Physicians per 1,000 people in Samoa. World Bank 2020. Accessed May 2, 2022. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.MED.PHYS.ZS?locations=WS
8. Global nutrition report. Samoa and Oceania. Global Nutrition Report 2021. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://globalnutritionreport.org/resources/nutrition-profiles/oceania/polynesia/samoa
9. Swinburn B, Eager G, Raza F. Dissecting obesogenic environments: The development and application of a framework for identifying and prioritizing environmental interventions for obesity. Preventive medicine 1999; 29(6): 563-70.
10. World Health Organization. Overweight and obesity, in Health at a Glance: Asia-Pacific 2020: Measuring progress towards universal health coverage. OECD Publishing, Paris. htpp://doi.org/10.1787/a47d)cd2-en.
11. World Health Organization. Fact Sheet. WHO 2021. Accessed January 10, 2022. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight
12. Di Angelantonio E, Bhupathiraju ShN, Wormser D, et al. Global BMI mortality collaboration: body mass index and all-cause mortality individual-participant-data-meta-analysis of 239 prospective studies in four continents. Lancet 2016; 338:776-86. Doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(16)30175-1
13. Garcia-Jimenez C, Garcia-Martinez JM Chocarro-Calvo A, et al. A new link between diabetes and cancer: enhanced WNT/beta-catenin signaling by high glucose. J Mol Endocrino 2014; 52(1): 52-66
14. World Health Organization. WHO Expert Consultation on waist circumferences and waist-hip ratio; 8-11 December 2008. WHO 2008. Htpp://who.int/newsroom/en.
15. Lameko V, Schoeffel P. Are behaviour change approaches to obesity and heath effective? A case study from Samoa. Pacific Health Dialogue 2021;21(8):549-555. Doi: 10.26635/phd.2021.145
16. World Health Organization. STEPS Survey: Risk factors of non-communicable diseases: Samoa, 2013. WHO 2013. Accessed Feb 10, 2022, htpp://users/rleach/dowlaods/Samoa-Finak-Fact-Sheet-2013/PDF
17. Anderson I. The economic costs of NCDs in Pacific Islands: A rapid stock take of the situation in Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu. The World Bank 2013. Accessed January 4, 2022. https:openknowledge.worldbank.org/bitstream/handle/10986/17851/865220WPOEcono0Box385176B000PUBLICO.pdf
18. Fatema K, Hossain S, Natasha K, et al. Knowledge attitude and practice regarding diabetes mellitus among nondiabetic and diabetic study participants in Bangladesh. BMC Public Health 2017; 17:1-10
19. Bookari K, Yeatmann H, Williamson M. Exploring Australian women’s level of nutrition knowledge during pregnancy: A Cross-sectional study. Int J. Women Health 2016; 8: 405.
20. Du Monde M. The KAP survey model: knowledge, attitudes & practices. USAID: Washington, DC,USA. 2011.
21. Kigaru DMD, Loechl C, Moleah T, et al. Nutrition knowledge, attitude and practices among urban primary school children in Nairobi City, Kenya: A KAP Study. BMC Nutri 2015; 1: 44-56.
22. Reethesh SR, Ranjan P, Arora C, et al. Development and Validation of a Questionnaire Assessing Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices about Obesity among Obese Individuals. Indian J Endocrinol Metab 2019; 23(1):102-110. doi:10.4103/ijem.IJEM_487_18
23. David W. Eccles & Güler Arsal (2017) The think aloud method: what is it and how do I use it?, Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 9:4, 514-531, DOI: 10.1080/2159676X.2017.1331501
24. Zelenytė VV, Leonas D, Auksė G, et al. Body size perception, knowledge about obesity and factors associated with lifestyle change among patients, health care professionals and public health experts. BMC Family Practice 2021; 22. Doi: 10.1186/s12875-021-01383-2.
25. The Guardian. The Guardian. Why exercise won't make you thin. The Guardian 2010. Accessed April 20, 2022. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2010/sep/19/exercise-dieting-public-health
26. Hardin J. Life before vegetables: nutrition, cash and subjunctive health in Samoa. Cultural Anthropology 2021; 36(3): 428-457
27. Wakefield K, Feo R. 2017, 'Confronting obesity, stigma and weight bias in healthcare with a person centred care approach: A case study ', Australian Nursing and Midwifery Journal 2017; 25 (1): 28-31. Accessed April 4, 2022. https://search.informit.com.au/documentSummary;dn=909958228125391;res=IELHEA
28. Food and Agriculture Organization. Samoa Food Security Profile. FAO 2021. Accessed Aug 16, 2021. http://www.fao.org/3/ca7206en/CA7206EN.pdf
29. United Nations in Samoa. COVID-19 Socioeconomic Response Plan. United Nations 2020. Accessed Oct 3, 2021. https://unsdg.un.org/resources/covid-19-socio-economic-response-plan-samoa.
30. Kramer A. Die Samoa-Insel. E Schweizerbartsche Verlagsbuchhandlung 1903.
31. Lameko V. Adult obesity in Samoa: cultural change and dietary practices. Journal of Samoan Studies 2020; 10:30-48.
32. Hardin J, Kwauk CT. Producing markets, producing people: local food, financial prosperity and health in Samoa. Food, Culture and Society 2015;18(3): 529-539. Accessed Jan 30, 2022. https:/doi.org/10.1080/15528014.2015.1043113.