Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom
Objective: This study’s aim was to test associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity (PA) among 3000 18–35-year-old men and women from Kenya, South Africa (SA), and the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in Apri...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Taylor & Francis Group
2023-07-01
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| Series: | The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2198844 |
| _version_ | 1827811422401200128 |
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| author | Siphiwe N Dlamini Asanda Mtintsilana Witness Mapanga Ashleigh Craig Shane A Norris |
| author_facet | Siphiwe N Dlamini Asanda Mtintsilana Witness Mapanga Ashleigh Craig Shane A Norris |
| author_sort | Siphiwe N Dlamini |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Objective: This study’s aim was to test associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity (PA) among 3000 18–35-year-old men and women from Kenya, South Africa (SA), and the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in April 2022. To estimate nutrition knowledge, dietary recommendation knowledge score was computed using the standard General Nutrition Knowledge questionnaire. Obesity-related attitudes were from the British Social Attitudes Survey. Self-reported days of vigorous and moderate PAs and walking were used. Ordinal logistic regression was employed to test all associations, while adjusting for age group, gender and a household asset score. Using simple mediation, testing was also done to ascertain whether obesity-related attitudes mediated associations between nutrition knowledge and PA. Results: Consistently, better nutrition knowledge was associated with disagreeing that ‘There is no reason to worry about obesity’ (ORs ≥ 1.09), but lower odds of being against ‘Providing free weight management courses’ and ‘Creating/improving cycle paths and pavements to encourage PA’ (ORs ≤ 0.90). Better nutrition knowledge was also associated with higher vigorous PA in SA (OR = 1.09), and moderate PA (OR = 1.04) and walking (OR = 1.12) in the UK. In the combined sample, associations of nutrition knowledge with vigorous PA were fully mediated by believing that ‘Obesity results from not exercising enough’ (11.1% mediated). Likewise, associations of nutrition knowledge with moderate PA were fully mediated by attitude towards ‘Creating or improving cycle paths and pavements to encourage PA’ in the UK (38.9% mediated). Conclusions: Nutrition knowledge is associated with obesity-related attitudes and PA among young adults, but some relationships are country-specific. Interventions based on findings from high-income countries should be evaluated before being implemented in low-resource settings. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:04:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e4cdac4d19e449b98298aa5f9434d2b5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1607-0658 2221-1268 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T23:04:47Z |
| publishDate | 2023-07-01 |
| publisher | Taylor & Francis Group |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition |
| spelling | doaj.art-e4cdac4d19e449b98298aa5f9434d2b52023-09-21T13:38:27ZengTaylor & Francis GroupThe South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition1607-06582221-12682023-07-010011410.1080/16070658.2023.21988442198844Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United KingdomSiphiwe N Dlamini0Asanda Mtintsilana1Witness Mapanga2Ashleigh Craig3Shane A Norris4University of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the WitwatersrandUniversity of the WitwatersrandObjective: This study’s aim was to test associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity (PA) among 3000 18–35-year-old men and women from Kenya, South Africa (SA), and the United Kingdom (UK). Methods: A cross-sectional online survey was conducted in April 2022. To estimate nutrition knowledge, dietary recommendation knowledge score was computed using the standard General Nutrition Knowledge questionnaire. Obesity-related attitudes were from the British Social Attitudes Survey. Self-reported days of vigorous and moderate PAs and walking were used. Ordinal logistic regression was employed to test all associations, while adjusting for age group, gender and a household asset score. Using simple mediation, testing was also done to ascertain whether obesity-related attitudes mediated associations between nutrition knowledge and PA. Results: Consistently, better nutrition knowledge was associated with disagreeing that ‘There is no reason to worry about obesity’ (ORs ≥ 1.09), but lower odds of being against ‘Providing free weight management courses’ and ‘Creating/improving cycle paths and pavements to encourage PA’ (ORs ≤ 0.90). Better nutrition knowledge was also associated with higher vigorous PA in SA (OR = 1.09), and moderate PA (OR = 1.04) and walking (OR = 1.12) in the UK. In the combined sample, associations of nutrition knowledge with vigorous PA were fully mediated by believing that ‘Obesity results from not exercising enough’ (11.1% mediated). Likewise, associations of nutrition knowledge with moderate PA were fully mediated by attitude towards ‘Creating or improving cycle paths and pavements to encourage PA’ in the UK (38.9% mediated). Conclusions: Nutrition knowledge is associated with obesity-related attitudes and PA among young adults, but some relationships are country-specific. Interventions based on findings from high-income countries should be evaluated before being implemented in low-resource settings.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2198844nutrition knowledgeobesity attitudesphysical activitymulti-countryyoung adultssouth africakenyaunited kingdom |
| spellingShingle | Siphiwe N Dlamini Asanda Mtintsilana Witness Mapanga Ashleigh Craig Shane A Norris Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom The South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition nutrition knowledge obesity attitudes physical activity multi-country young adults south africa kenya united kingdom |
| title | Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom |
| title_full | Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom |
| title_fullStr | Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom |
| title_full_unstemmed | Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom |
| title_short | Associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity-related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from Kenya, South Africa, and the United Kingdom |
| title_sort | associations between nutrition knowledge and obesity related attitudes and physical activity among young adults from kenya south africa and the united kingdom |
| topic | nutrition knowledge obesity attitudes physical activity multi-country young adults south africa kenya united kingdom |
| url | http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/16070658.2023.2198844 |
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