title: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of Parents Facing Child and Adolescent Obesity in Brazzaville, Congo.
abstract: The study aimed to assess obesity-related knowledge, attitudes, and practices of parents when facing child and adolescent obesity in order to improve the quality of care. A case-control study was conducted from February 1 to July 1, 2013. The study compared parents of obese school children (group 1 or cases; n = 254) and those school children without obesity (group 2 or controls; n = 254). These children were drawn from public and private primary schools of Brazzaville (Congo). Obesity-related knowledge was satisfactory in 83.5% of the cases, attitudes were correct in 29% of the cases, and the practices good in 25.6% of the cases. The parents' obesity-related knowledge was satisfactory when the socioeconomic level of the family was high (P< .02), the mothers' educational level greater than primary (P< .001), and the fathers' educational level was greater than primary (P< 10-4). The same observation was obtained with obesity-related attitudes and practices of the parents when correct. This influence remained after the adaptation of fathers' educational level. In conclusion, the disease-related knowledge of parents can be considered satisfactory in the majority of the cases; however, obesity-related attitudes and practices remain incorrect in most of the cases.
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Jean Robert
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Mabiala Babela
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Evrard Romaric
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Nika
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Kadidja Grâce Cléona
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Nkounkou Milandou
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Steve Vassili
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Missambou Mandilou
authors.affiliation: Far East Rand Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors.forename: Succes Brege Albert
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Bouangui Bazolana
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Henri Germain
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Monabeka
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Brazzaville, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo; Marien Ngouabi University, Brazzaville, Republic of Congo.
authors.forename: Georges
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Moyen
keywords: Congo; attitudes; childhood; knowledge; obesity; parents; practices