Knowledge, attitude and behaviour change in participants attending an eight-week weight reduction programme.

Abstract

The importance of continuous evaluation and improvement of weight reduction programmes has been dearly established the literature. This small-scale exploratory-descriptive research, which opted for both quantitative and qualitative data was conducted to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and behaviour change in participants attending the eight week weight reduction programme held by the Maltese Health Promotion Department. It also attempts to explore the motivations, expectations and slimming strategies adopted by obese people. The data was obtained from pre- and post-intervention self-administered questionnaires. The findings indicated that the weight loss of the participants was statistically significant and that there was an improvement in the knowledge on healthy eating and healthy lifestyle by the end of the programme. Attitudes and eating behaviours changed positively. The results suggest that the Health Promotion Department weight reduction programme is effective in empowering people to change their eating habits and lifestyle. This study identified key aspects where the programme can be changed to address certain issues more deeply and improve further its achievements. Recommendations were made accordingly.