title: [Correlation between knowledge about the consequences of obesity and physical activity levels among university students].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Obesity is a growing public health issue. One of the main strategies to prevent it is physical activity.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a correlation exists between awareness of the consequences of obesity and physical activity level.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional study performed on a group of 215 students was conducted in 2013 and 2014. Non-health related program students were selected by convenience sampling at a university in Lima, Peru. Their physical activity level was measured using the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and knowledge about the consequences of obesity was assessed using the Obesity Risk Knowledge-10 scale (ORK-10). Each student was also asked to record the source where they obtained whatever information they knew about the topic.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The median age of the participants was 20 (interquartile range of 4; 22-18), and 63% of the participants were female. According to the IPAQ, 53.9% of the participants recorded high levels of physical activity, 35.4% recorded moderate levels, and 10.7%, recorded low levels. While a low correlation between the ORK-10 score and the amount of METs/minute/week spent was found (rs=0.06), it was not significant (p=0.38). We found that people who were informed by the media or by healthcare personnel achieved higher scores on the ORK-10 scale than those who used other sources of information (p<0,05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a very low correlation between the knowledge about the consequences of obesity and a persons physical activity level. A multidisciplinary approach that includes all determinants of physical activity is necessary in order to attain changes in peoples behavior.
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Perú. Prolongación Primavera 2390, Lima, Perú. javier_200014@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ocampo-Mascaró
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: Vera
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Silva-Salazar
authors.affiliation: Escuela de Medicina, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas, Lima, Perú
authors.forename: A Daniel
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: da Costa-Bullón
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010568:Peru; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: attitudes; health knowledge; motivation; obesity; overweight; physical activity; practice