Alqahtani Youssef Ali
Department of Child Health, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Gen Med. 2025 Aug 12;18:4391-4401. doi: 10.2147/IJGM.S520120. eCollection 2025.
Childhood obesity represents a critical global health concern, with steadily rising prevalence and significant implications for long-term physical and psychological well-being. In Saudi Arabia, the problem is particularly acute, with national data showing high obesity rates among children and adolescents, attributed to sedentary lifestyles and poor dietary habits. Understanding parental influence is vital in addressing this growing epidemic.
This study aimed to assess the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) of parents regarding childhood obesity in the Aseer Region of Saudi Arabia and to identify demographic factors associated with parental knowledge levels.
A cross-sectional, web-based survey was conducted for a period of 3 months targeting parents of children aged 18 or younger years living in the Aseer Region. A structured questionnaire assessed sociodemographic data and parental KAP regarding childhood obesity. Descriptive statistics and chi-square tests analyses were used for data analysis, with significance set at p < 0.05.
A total of 907 parents participated. While 92.8% recognized that children can be obese and 96.8% acknowledged lack of physical activity as a risk factor, only 67% were familiar with Body Mass Index (BMI), and 80.6% identified genetics as a contributing factor. Despite generally positive attitudes 93.5% agreed that high intake of sweets and fried foods increases obesity risk unhealthy practices were prevalent: 85.1% of children snacked between meals, 73.8% ate while using screens, and 48.7% exceeded three hours of screen time daily. Maternal education (p = 0.001) and employment status (p = 0.048) were significantly associated with higher parental knowledge levels. Positive correlations were also found between knowledge, attitude, and practice scores (p < 0.001).
Although parents in the Aseer Region demonstrated high awareness and favorable attitudes, their practices often failed to reflect this knowledge. These findings highlight the need for culturally tailored interventions that support parents in translating awareness into healthier behaviors for their children. Strategies should particularly focus on screen time management, mindful eating, and support for less-educated and non-working mothers.
儿童肥胖是一个至关重要的全球健康问题，其患病率稳步上升，对长期身心健康有着重大影响。在沙特阿拉伯，这个问题尤为严重，国家数据显示儿童和青少年肥胖率很高，这归因于久坐不动的生活方式和不良饮食习惯。了解父母的影响对于应对这一日益严重的流行病至关重要。
本研究旨在评估沙特阿拉伯阿西尔地区父母关于儿童肥胖的知识、态度和行为，并确定与父母知识水平相关的人口统计学因素。
开展了一项为期3个月的横断面网络调查，目标是居住在阿西尔地区18岁及以下儿童的父母。一份结构化问卷评估了社会人口统计学数据以及父母关于儿童肥胖的知识、态度和行为。描述性统计和卡方检验分析用于数据分析，显著性设定为p < 0.05。
共有907名父母参与。虽然92.8%的人认识到儿童可能肥胖，96.8%的人承认缺乏体育活动是一个风险因素，但只有67%的人熟悉身体质量指数（BMI），80.6%的人认为遗传是一个促成因素。尽管态度总体积极（93.5%的人同意高糖和油炸食品摄入量增加肥胖风险），但不健康行为普遍存在：85.1%的儿童在两餐之间吃零食，73.8%的儿童边看屏幕边吃东西，48.7%的儿童每天看屏幕时间超过三小时。母亲的教育程度（p = 0.001）和就业状况（p = 0.048）与父母更高的知识水平显著相关。知识、态度和行为得分之间也发现了正相关（p < 0.001）。
尽管阿西尔地区的父母表现出较高的认识和积极态度，但他们的行为往往未能反映出这些知识。这些发现凸显了需要进行文化定制的干预措施，以支持父母将认识转化为对孩子更健康的行为。策略应特别关注屏幕时间管理、正念饮食，并支持受教育程度较低和未工作的母亲。
