KNOWLEDGE AND AWARENESS OF MALE OBESITY-RELATED INFERTILITY AMONG IIUM KUANTAN STUDENTS

Abstract

Introduction: Fertility issues occur not only in females but also in males. The community still has a low level of knowledge and awareness of male obesity-related infertility. Several students may be aware that obesity can impact men's fertility, but some may be unaware. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the knowledge and awareness of male students regarding obesity-related infertility. Method: Convenience sampling was used to gather respondents in this cross-sectional study. A validated questionnaire was used to assess knowledge and awareness about male obesity-related infertility. A total of 110 subjects completed the study. Result: The data analysis was done using the SPSS Statistics Version 26.0. The results indicate that the mean knowledge score is 35.24 ± 5.69, which could be classified as moderate. In addition, the mean awareness score is 41.99 ± 7.00, which could be ranked as high. No significant difference was found between male and female students' level of knowledge or awareness of male obesity-related infertility. Knowledge and awareness were found to be moderately associated (r=0.674; p=0.05), which indicates that if individuals are knowledgeable, they are also most likely to have awareness. Conclusion: Regardless of the considerable awareness level, the student's knowledge regarding obesity and infertility is still at the intermediate level. Thus, promoting a healthy lifestyle and raising awareness of the risks that obesity poses to reproduction is essential.