ACTION Teens: Perceptions and attitudes towards obesity among adolescents living with obesity, caregivers and healthcare professionals in South Korea

Abstract

Background: In South Korea, the prevalence of adolescents living with obesity (ALwO) is rising. Objectives: To evaluate perceptions, attitudes, behaviors, and obstacles to effective obesity care among ALwO, caregivers, and healthcare professionals (HCPs) in South Korea. Methods: ACTION Teens (NCT05013359) was a multinational, cross-sectional survey conducted in 2021. Data from South Korean participants are reported (476 ALwO, 523 caregivers, 200 HCPs). Results: Most ALwO/caregivers acknowledged that they/their ALwO had overweight, obesity or severe obesity (95 %/88 %, respectively) and were concerned about weight impacting their/their ALwO's future health (94 %/ 91 %, respectively). The predominant information source on weight management for ALwO/caregivers was YouTube (62 %/35 %, respectively). Most HCPs (87 %) indicated obesity had a strong impact on overall health; fewer ALwO (70 %) and caregivers (62 %) provided the same responses. ALwO recognized the societal challenges associated with overweight/ obesity (versus healthy weight), with 50 %, 37 %, and 36 % reporting that overweight/obesity makes it harder to get a job, make friends, and perform well at school, respectively (compared with 41 %, 28 %, and 26 % of caregivers). A higher proportion of ALwO (80 %) than caregivers (45 %) thought weight loss was completely the ALwO's responsibility. While 82 % of ALwO reported they had made a recent weight-loss attempt, only 60 % of caregivers reported that their ALwO had made a recent weight-loss attempt; HCPs thought that, on average, 35 % of their ALwO patients had attempted to lose weight. Conclusions: Disparities in respondents' perceptions and attitudes toward obesity underscore the need for enhanced communication and increased understanding of obesity to improve healthcare strategies for South Korean ALwO.