Obesity Related Health Risk Knowledge, Socioeconomic Disparities and Life Style Practices: A Cross-Sectional Study among obese and Nonobese Adult Nigerians.

This study assessed and compared the effect of knowledge about the adverse health consequences of obesity among the obese and non-obese and correlates with their socioeconomic status and life style habits. It was a cross-sectional study with 625 obese (BMI ? 30.0kgm 2 ) and 1020 non-obese (BMI < 24.9kgm 2 ) in a primary health care setting. Instruments of survey were: a pretested semi structured questionnaire and anthropometric measures (height and weight). Non-obese participants had better knowledge about the adverse health risk of obesity than the obese. There was a statistical significant association between poor knowledge of adverse health risk, low socioeconomic status and poor life style and incidence of obesity among participants at (P < 0.001). Higher odds for obesity were associated with poor knowledge, low socioeconomic status and poor life style habits. Thus, improving socioeconomic status, knowledge about obesity and its adverse health consequences, and good life style practices could help curb the high incidence of obesity in our communities.