RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN OBESITY RISK KNOWLEDGE AND BODY MASS INDEX AMONG SPORTS SCIENCE AND RECREATION STUDENTS BASED ON GENDER

Knowledge is a powerful indicator for prevention of obesity where knowledge related to the risk of obesity may influence the rate of obesity, especially among students. Maybe students with high knowledge on the risk of obesity have a normal body fatness and vice versa. However, the association between knowledge and obesity rate among students is inconclusive. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify the relationship between knowledge on risk of obesity and body mass index (BMI) among Sports Science and Recreation (FSR) students based on gender. The correlational study involved n =257 were male and n=179 were female students from FSR. The Obesity Risk Knowledge-10 Scale (ORK-10) Questionnaire was used to measure the level of knowledge on risk of obesity and BMI was used as an indicator for obesity rate. Results showed male students mean score for knowledge was 4.78 ± 1.58 and 4.71 ± 1.68 for female students. Mean BMI for each gender was 23.64 ± 4.90 for male and 21.89 ± 3.4 for female students. There were negative and weak correlation between knowledge and obesity rate for male students r=-0.174, p <.005 and positive and very weak correlation among female students r=0.076, p >.005. These results showed both male and female students ware having poor knowledge on risk of obesity, but they have a normal body fatness. Hence, knowledge on risk of obesity doesn’t influence the obesity rate among FSR students. Probably, FSR students actively engage in physical activity since it is part of academic program that demanding students to be physically active that indirectly maintain their BMI score. Conceivably, knowledge together with practice possibly will help for upkeep of normal body fatness.