Children who are overweight or obese : attitudes and beliefs of nursing students in Taiwan

Background: Overweight/obesity has increased worldwide in recent decades. The prevalence of children who are overweight/obese has also increased in Taiwan. Nursing professionals’ attitudes and beliefs may affect the quality of care for children who are overweight and obese. Purpose: To explore the attitudes and beliefs of nursing students about children who are overweight/obese in Taiwan. Methods: A self-administered translated questionnaire was completed by two groups (2-year program and 4-year program) of undergraduate nursing students in Taiwan. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and t-test. Results: Data from this study indicated that two groups (2-year program and 4-year program) of undergraduate nursing students hold positive attitudes towards overweight/obese children. The 2-year program nursing students held more neutral attitudes about overweight/obese children. Neither group had strong beliefs related to children’s eating habits. Conclusions: Education is one way to improve attitudes and beliefs towards childhood overweight/obesity. The data from this study provides information for the development of curricula for nursing students.