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Gouder S.1, Busuttil M.L.2
1University of Malta, Department of Physiotherapy, Msida, Malta, 2University of Malta, Department of Public Health, Msida, Malta
Background: The ever-increasing prevalence of childhood obesity lead to a public health crisis with efforts being made from all stakeholders involved to halt its rise. The World Confederation of Physical Therapists (WCPT) advocated that physiotherapists have a key role in campaigns targeting childhood obesity, being experts in prescribing and designing exercise programs to increase levels of physical activity across the population (2012).
Purpose: In 2013, the Malta Association of Physiotherapists (MAP) implemented an educational talk on obesity and physical activity as a national campaign for the annual World Physical Therapy Day. The aim of the educational talk was to improve health literacy on obesity and physical activity in caregivers. Health literacy empowers caregivers to take responsibility of their children's physical activity levels (Sørensen, et al., 2012). This educational talk was not tested for effectiveness, which lead to the research question of this study: “Is an educational talk on obesity and physical activity effective at improving the caregiver's health literacy?”
Methods: A quasi-experimental research design was used. The intervention was the educational talk, developed and piloted by the MAP. Data was collected through a self-designed health literacy tool. The health literacy tool was in the form of a questionnaire with questions testing knowledge on obesity and physical activity. The health literacy tool underwent experts review and WHOs translation procedures. Caregivers of 5-6 year old children attending primary state schools in Gozo were invited to participate in this study through an information letter. The educational talk was on childhood obesity and physical activity. They were asked to fill in a health literacy tool before the educational talk to establish a baseline score of health literacy before the educational talk and again after the educational talk to determine the health literacy score after the educational talk.
Results: Descriptive statistics showed that the majority of participants were mothers who were between 30 and 39 years who are employed and have a secondary level of education. Hypotheses testing also showed that there was significant improvement in health literacy scores after the educational talk. Hypotheses testing also showed that the educational talk was effective at improving health literacy in all caregivers, irrespective of the demographic variables.
Conclusion(s): The educational talk implemented by the MAP can be used by physiotherapists as part of a national campaign on childhood obesity, since its effectiveness in improving health literacy on obesity and physical activity has been established.
Implications: By evaluating the impact of this educational talk, this study ensures that the intervention chosen to be employed across the population is effective, economic, ethical and evidence-based (Waters et al., 2006). The educational talk being effective across the whole population ensures that this intervention narrows down health inequalities (Marmot, 2005).This adds value to the intervention implemented by the MAP in the public health struggle to halt the ever-rising problem of childhood obesity.
Funding acknowledgements: This study was self-funded.
Topic: Health promotion & wellbeing/healthy ageing
Ethics approval: This study was approved by the University Research Ethics Committee within the University of Malta.
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
