The Barriers to Obesity Prevention or Elimination in Libya: A Phenomenological Analysis
[Thesis]
Elrashid, Abubaker Moh
Barrington, Patricia
The University of West Florida
2020
215 p.
Ed.D.
The University of West Florida
2020
Obesity prevalence in Libya has dramatically increased in the last three decades from 12.6% in 1984 to 30.5% in 2009 and from 36.10% in 2010 to 47.4% in 2019. High rates of obesity put Libyans at risk for contracting diseases, including cardiovascular disease, liver disease, diabetes, and cancer. These obesity-related health conditions ultimately affect national development as the Libyan government allocates much of the healthcare budget to the treatment of obesity comorbidities. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study is to explore the perceptions of select U.S. Libyan immigrants about the barriers to preventing or eliminating obesity in Libya. The researcher framed the study using the health belief model (HBM; Hochbaum, 1958; Rosenstock, 1974a). The HBM has six main concepts. Perceived barriers, a concept of the model, guided the development of the research questions. The researcher collected interview data from 10 Libyan immigrants in the United States. The study's findings include a perceived inability of current health education to create awareness about addressing the barriers to obesity prevention or elimination among Libyans. Per the findings, health education regarding obesity is not a priority for Libyans because they do not consider obesity to be a disease. The findings of this study have implications for raising awareness about obesity through primary healthcare. The study may also influence policies relative to the adoption of health education programs that will enforce prevention or elimination rather than treatment of health conditions such as obesity in Libya.