Current status of obesity among international students and development of a behavior change program using mobile devices

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K24164
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0908:Society medicine, nursing, and related fields
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Yukiko Tateyama 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定助教 (20849971)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-08-30 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 肥満 / 行動変容 / モバイル端末 / 外国人留学生 / 社会文化環境要因

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To understand the physical conditions of young adults from diverse psychological and socio-cultural perspectives and to explore their perceptions of obesity and related social, cultural, and environmental factors, we conducted qualitative interviews with international students focusing on "perceptions of obesity" and "related socio-cultural backgrounds." The study revealed that the students exhibited an accepting attitude towards obesity, influenced by a socio-cultural environment that embraces diversity. Based on these findings, we investigated health intervention programs suitable for international students with diverse socio-cultural backgrounds, including the creation of intervention messages aimed at weight management and lifestyle improvement, as well as translating the intended mobile application into English.

Free Research Field

社会健康医学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

「肥満体型を肯定的に捉える」「多様性を尊重すべき」など肥満に関する認識・価値観が出身国の社会文化背景により異なる可能性があり、若年層における行動変容には、多様な考えに配慮した健康介入メッセージ提供の必要性が示唆された。本研究結果は、今後のさらなる教育の国際化を踏まえ、多様な背景をもつ外国人留学生のヘルスプロモーションのあり方の検討および健全な学業の遂行の貢献に資する情報となり得ると考える。