Ojeola Tioluwanimi, Olajugba Joshua, Shekoni Oluwatobi, Aluko Oluwabusayo, Nwadinigwe Emeka
General Surgery, Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency, Belfast, GBR.
Surgery, Surgery Interest Group, Africa (SIGAf), Lagos, NGA.
Cureus. 2025 Jan 8;17(1):e77126. doi: 10.7759/cureus.77126. eCollection 2025 Jan.
Background Obesity poses a significant public health challenge globally as it is a risk factor for many non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) has proven to be a reliable method for ensuring sustained weight loss and sometimes resolution of obesity-related diseases. However, its uptake and utilization in Nigeria are low due to a variety of reasons, one of which may be insufficient knowledge and exposure to surgical methods of weight loss in medical school curricula. This study evaluated knowledge and attitudes regarding MBS among final-year medical students and house officers (HOs) in Lagos, Nigeria, who represent primary sources of health information for patients. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted using a 19-point structured online questionnaire, which was divided into the following sections: demographics, knowledge assessment, and attitude measurement. This was distributed electronically using a convenience sampling technique to final-year medical students and HOs across Lagos teaching hospitals (April-July 2024). Ethical approval was not required for this study. Data analysis was performed using SPSS v27.0.1 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY). Results A total of 203 responses were received. Of these, 117 respondents were female (57.6%), and 86 were male (42.4%). Final-year medical students accounted for 130 (64%), while HOs made up the remaining 73 (36%). Only eight respondents (3.9%) correctly identified all three primary indications for MBS. The failure of conservative methods of weight loss was the most correctly identified indication for MBS, selected by 66% of participants (n=134). Recognition of gastric bypass and sleeve gastrectomy was moderate, with 66.5% (n=135) and 63.5% (n=129) of respondents aware of these methods, respectively. However, only 29.6% (n=60) of respondents were aware of endoscopic balloon insertion. Notably, 94.6% (n=192) were unaware of bariatric services at their institutions, and 41.9% (n=85) reported no exposure to bariatric surgery in their medical school curriculum. There was significant uncertainty regarding surgical risk, with 47.3% (n=96) unable to compare MBS risks to common abdominal procedures. Additionally, 47.3% (96) anticipated social stigma associated with surgical weight loss interventions. Conclusion Nigeria is confronting a growing obesity epidemic that underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive national strategy. Central to this approach is the enhancement of medical education on obesity and MBS through targeted curriculum updates, ongoing professional development programs, and specialized training workshops. Such measures are essential to improving patient care and addressing the escalating burden of obesity in Nigeria.
肥胖是全球重大的公共卫生挑战，因为它是许多非传染性疾病（NCDs）的危险因素。代谢性减肥手术（MBS）已被证明是确保持续体重减轻以及有时解决肥胖相关疾病的可靠方法。然而，由于各种原因，其在尼日利亚的接受度和利用率较低，其中一个原因可能是医学院课程中对减肥手术方法的知识和接触不足。本研究评估了尼日利亚拉各斯的医学专业最后一年学生和住院医师（HOs）对MBS的知识和态度，他们是患者健康信息的主要来源。方法：采用一份19点的结构化在线问卷进行横断面研究，问卷分为以下几个部分：人口统计学、知识评估和态度测量。使用便利抽样技术通过电子方式将问卷分发给拉各斯各教学医院的医学专业最后一年学生和住院医师（2024年4月至7月）。本研究无需伦理批准。使用SPSS v27.0.1（IBM公司，纽约州阿蒙克）进行数据分析。结果：共收到203份回复。其中，117名受访者为女性（57.6%），86名受访者为男性（42.4%）。医学专业最后一年学生占130名（64%），而住院医师占其余73名（36%）。只有8名受访者（3.9%）正确识别出MBS的所有三个主要适应症。减肥保守方法失败是MBS最常被正确识别的适应症，66%的参与者（n = 134）选择了这一适应症。对胃旁路手术和袖状胃切除术的认知程度中等，分别有66.5%（n = 135）和63.5%（n = 129）的受访者知晓这些方法。然而，只有29.6%（n = 60）的受访者知晓内镜下球囊置入术。值得注意的是，94.6%（n = 192）的受访者不知道其所在机构提供减肥服务，41.9%（n = 85）的受访者表示在医学院课程中没有接触过减肥手术。关于手术风险存在很大的不确定性，47.3%（n = 96）的人无法将MBS风险与常见腹部手术的风险进行比较。此外，47.3%（96）的人预计手术减肥干预会带来社会耻辱感。结论：尼日利亚正面临日益严重的肥胖流行问题，这凸显了制定全面国家战略的迫切需要。这种方法的核心是通过有针对性的课程更新、持续的专业发展计划和专门的培训研讨会，加强关于肥胖和MBS的医学教育。这些措施对于改善患者护理和应对尼日利亚不断升级的肥胖负担至关重要。
