Perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate students towards obesity obesity at Makerere University

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate students towards obesity at Makerere University. The study was guided by four objectives namely; To explore the perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate students towards obesity at Makerere University, to understand the knowledge and awareness of undergraduate students about obesity at Makerere university, to explore perceptions of undergraduate students towards individuals with obesity at Makerere university, to identify the factors influencing perceptions of obesity among undergraduate students at Makerere university. The study was purely qualitative in nature and employed a purposive and convenient sampling strategy to identify the respondents. The sample size of the study was 22, including 20 undergraduate students and 2 key informants. Basing on twenty in-depth interviews conducted with students across all four academic years and from different academic programs, the findings offer insight into how university students understand obesity, the meanings they attach to body size and the cultural and social environments that shape these views. The study aimed to foreground students' voices to understand better how obesity is perceived in their daily lives, and to examine the extent to which these perceptions reflect, reinforce, or challenge dominant health discourses. Data was collected through in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis and organized using a codebook matrix approach, which enabled the development of coherent themes and subthemes grounded in participants’ language and reasoning. The findings of the study presented the general overview of perceptions and attitudes of undergraduate students towards obesity in Makerere University. The study found that majority of the students understanding was largely informal and based on physical appearance rather than medical or scientific knowledge highlighting a significant gap in biomedical knowledge. The study also revealed that Students at Makerere University held mixed and often contradictory views toward individuals with obesity leading to negative stereotypes such as laziness, poor hygiene, or lack of self-control .it was notable that a big number of students especially female participants in higher academic years expressed more open minded views influenced by body positivity movements and social media hence greater acceptance and understanding. Some challenged beauty norms and emphasized respect for body diversity. However, even these views were sometimes accompanied by stigma. The perceptions of obesity among Makerere University students were shaped by a range of interacting influences such as cultural beliefs and norms, social media and celebrity influence, family and peer influence, and education and exposure to health knowledge which formed a complex understanding of body size, health, and identity. The study also revealed obesity was not recognized within the university in that administrative representatives confirmed that there were no specific campaigns, posters, programs, or outreach efforts addressing obesity. Therefore, the study provides recommendations for various categories of actors including government, policy makers, lecturers, social workers, NGOs and Makerere university to enhance improved awareness about obesity among university students in higher institutions of learning through sensitization and awareness campaigns and the need for targeted interventions to address obesity and its related risks.