Nurses’ obesity knowledge, attitudes and practices in private facilities in Oshana, Namibia

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of obesity has been rising globally, and this is leading to an increase in other non-communicable diseases. The level of obesity knowledge among nurses may have an impact on how they treat and perceive obese patients.

Aim: The study aimed to ascertain the knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses regarding obesity at private healthcare facilities located in Namibia’s Oshana Region.

Setting: A total of four private healthcare facilities in Namibia’s Oshana area served as the study’s sites.

Methods: A quantitative cross-sectional research design using proportional stratified random sampling was used to choose 250 respondents for the study. A questionnaire that respondents self-administered was used to gather the data. The reliability and validity of the questionnaire were determined during a pilot study. IBM Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27 was used for data analysis.

Results: Of the participants, about two-fifths had a positive attitude (n = 112; 44.8%), slightly less than two-fifths had good practices (n = 96; 38.4%) and more than one-third had good knowledge (n = 97; 39%). There were differences in knowledge mean scores based on age, occupation, sex and educational level.

Conclusion: The results validate the necessity for healthcare facilities to implement nurse education and mentorship initiatives, as well as to recognise and reward nurses who effectively care for patients with obesity.

Contribution: This study added literature on knowledge, attitudes and practices of nurses in private healthcare facilities in Namibia, as well as factors that influence knowledge levels among the nurses.