Adaptation of the weight management nutrition knowledge questionnaire into Turkish and assessment of the effect of weight management education given to overweight/obese university students on various parameters

The present study was planned in two stages, at the first stage of the study validity and reliability studies were performed for the Turkish version of the Weight Management Nutrition Knowledge Questionnaire (WMNKQ), and at the second stage of the study, the effect of weight management education given to overweight/obese university students on various parameters were evaluated. The first stage of the study was conducted on 392 university students with a mean age of 20.6±1.50 years. WMNKQ consisting of 43 items, was gathered under five factors (dimensions) as in the original questionnaire. The factor load of the items in each dimension was found over 0.40 and the percentage of total variance explanation was found 47.3%. When the correlation of the WMNKQ score and its subdimensions is examined, scores of all sub-dimensions were positively correlated with the total score of WMNKQ and found to be statistically significant (p<0.0001). In the reliability (internal consistency) analysis of WMNKQ, moderate reliability was achieved among the total scale items (Cronbach's alpha=0.75). The second stage of the study was conducted on 25 university students, 18 females and 7 males, with a mean age of 21.0±1.27 years. Within the scope of the research, weight management education intervention, which was prepared based on the Turkey Dietary Guidelines (TUBER) 2015, was given to university students online 9 times, at least 30 minutes, once every fortnight, for 4 months. Before the intervention, a questionnaire form, WMNKQ, Attitude Scale for Healthy Nutrition (ASHN) food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric measurement form were applied to university students using online methods. Two weeks after the end of the intervention, WMNKQ, ASHN, food frequency questionnaire and anthropometric measurement form were applied again. While the mean WMNKQ score was 23.6±4.95 points before the intervention, it increased to 35.6±4.06 points after the intervention and this change was found to be significant (p<0.05). The change in ASHN groups before and after the intervention was found to be statistically significant, and it was determined that the v individuals who had a moderate attitude before the intervention had a high and ideal attitude after the intervention (p<0.05). While university students' mean daily energy intake was 2568.3±692.06 kcal before the intervention, it decreased to 2126.3±530.95 kcal after the intervention, and this change was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). In addition to this, the daily average energy rates from proteins, energy rates from fats, fibre, n-3 fatty acids, liquids, vitamin A, vitamin B2, vitamin B6, folate, vitamin C, calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iodine intakes of individuals significantly increased (p<0.05). Individuals' body weight, BMI, waist circumference and waist-hip ratios decreased significantly after the intervention (p<0.05). As a result, the weight management education given to university students increased their nutritional knowledge level and provided a positive development in their food consumption and anthropometric measurements.