Assessment of Weight Management Nutrition Knowledge Level Among Individuals Applying to a Diet Center

Abstract

Objective: This study aimed to assess the level of nutritional weight management knowledge among individuals applying to a private nutrition and diet counseling center for weight management. Materials and Methods: Data were collected between January and May 2025 using voluntary face-to-face survey interviews. The sample size was determined to be at least 176 individuals based on a G*Power analysis for two independent groups with a 95% confidence level and a 5% margin of error; a total of 180 individuals were included in the study, comprising 90 new and 90 established patients. The socio-demographic characteristics of the participants were given in the first part, and the second part included the Weight Management Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (WMNKQ). Results: The mean BMI was 29.08±11.59 kg/m², and the WMNKQ score was 25.31±5.21. The results revealed a significant difference in clinical variables, including diet follow-up duration (p=0.001), presence of diagnosed disease (p=0.001), and disease-specific diet application status (p=0.025). Individuals with postgraduate education had statistically significantly higher WMNKQ scores than those with a high school or associate degree (p < 0.05). Positive and statistically significant relationships were found between WMNKQ scores and BMI (r=0.232, p=0.002) and duration of diet continuation (r=0.268, p=0.011). Conclusion: The level of knowledge regarding weight management is closely related to individuals' clinical characteristics, the duration of nutritional follow-up, and education level. These findings highlight the need to examine different clinical groups and educational interventions and may contribute to the development of more effective weight management programs.

Keywords

• BMI
• nutrition education
• obesity
• weight management nutrition knowledge

Diyet Merkezine Başvuran Bireylerde Ağırlık Yönetimi Beslenme Bilgi Düzeyinin Değerlendirilmesi

Abstract

Amaç: Bu çalışmada özel bir beslenme ve diyet danışmanlık merkezine başvuran bireylerin ağırlık yönetimine ilişkin beslenme bilgi düzeylerinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Materyal ve Metot: Çalışma verileri Ocak-Mayıs 2025 tarihleri arasında yüz yüze anket yoluyla gönüllülük esasına göre toplanmıştır. Örneklem büyüklüğü G*Power analiz yöntemi kullanılarak hesaplanmış; %95 güven düzeyi ve iki bağımsız grup için %5 hata payı baz alınarak en az 176 bireyin çalışmaya dâhil edilmesi beklenmiştir. Çalışmaya 90 yeni hasta ve 90 mevcut hasta olmak üzere toplam 180 birey katılmıştır. Katılımcıların sosyo-demografik özellikleri birinci bölümde verilmiş, ikinci bölümde Ağırlık Yönetimi Beslenme Bilgi Anketi (AYBBÖ) yer almıştır. Bulgular: Ortalama BKI 29,08±11,59 kg/m², AYBBÖ puanı ise 25,31±5,21 olarak bulunmuştur. Bireylerin ABBYÖ puanları analiz edilmiş ve sonuçlar klinik değişkenler olan diyet takip süresi (p=0,001), tanılı hastalık varlığı (p=0,001) ve hastalığa özgü diyet uygulama durumu (p=0,025) açısından anlamlı bir fark ortaya koymuştur. Lisansüstü eğitim düzeyine sahip bireylerin AYBBÖ puanları, lise ve ön lisans mezunu olan bireylere göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı derecede yüksektir (p<0,05). Korelasyon analizleri sonucunda AYBBÖ puanları ile BKİ (r=0,232, p=0,002) ve diyete devam etme süresi (r=0,268, p=0,011) arasında pozitif ve istatistiksel olarak anlamlı ilişkiler bulunmuştur. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak ağırlık yönetimine ilişkin bilgi düzeyinin, bireylerin klinik özellikleri, beslenme takip süresi ve eğitim düzeyi ile yakından ilişkili olduğu görülmektedir. Bu bulgular, farklı klinik gruplar ve eğitim müdahalelerinin incelenmesi gerekliliğini ortaya koymakta ve daha etkili kilo yönetimi programlarının geliştirilmesine katkı sağlayabilir.

Keywords

• Ağırlık yönetimi beslenme bilgi düzeyi
• beden kütle indeksi
• beslenme eğitimi
• obezite

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