Background: the prevalence of obesity in the gulf area has more than doubled in the last three decades. In fact, several intervention studies based on small sample size with short follow-up duration observed that improved nutrition knowledge may promote weight loss. However, the association between nutrition awareness and healthy and unhealthy weight loss practices has not been examined.
Objective Assessing the nutritional awareness of the practices of slimming used among female students .Methods we conducted a self-administered cross-sectional survey of nutritional awareness including socio-demographic characteristics, nutrition awareness, and the practices of slimming and weight loss in students female of 18–33 year old (n=200) between February 2022 to March 2023. Investigation was performed to identify correlates of nutrition awareness and its association with various practices of slimming. Results: The mean nutritional awareness score was low, The results found that 33% of the total sample suffers from a lack of nutritional awareness, ranging from a very low of nutritional awareness 11.5% to a low in nutritional awareness as a 22.5% percentage of the total sample. A higher degree of nutrition awareness was significantly associated with higher odds of engaging in healthy weight loss practices. However, it was not associated with unhealthy weight loss practices, such as using laxatives/diuretics or inducing vomiting or taking slimming medications.
Conclusions: Nutrition awareness is low among female students. Need an increase in nutrition awareness may promote healthy weight loss practices. Recommendations: Urging the work of more nutritional awareness programs on slimming practices.