Perceptions of black women of obesity as a health risk

Abstract

This article focuses on the exploration and description of perceptions of patients and community nurses of the phenomenon of obesity as well as any potential problems that could be foreseen if health promotion programs were planned for obese people. Whilst the researcher sought to explore patients’ perceptions of obesity as a threat to health it was also necessary to obtain similar information from the community nurses who were giving health services to these patients’. The level of knowledge of obesity as a health problem as well as the nurses personal attitude towards the phenomenon of obesity is crucial in the manner and quality of her interventions. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was utilised.