Relationship between convergence awareness for healthy weight management and eating behavior, creativity and convergence competency of adolescents

Purpose: Obesity can lead to several chronic diseases. With a continuous increase in the obesity rates, sustainable healthy weight management among growing adolescents has become essential. This study was conducted to examine the relationship between obesity-related factors and creative convergence ability. This could form the basis for convergence education for the sustainable healthy weight management of adolescents. Methods: Data were collected from 430 adolescents in Daegu, Gyeongbuk, and Gyeonggi regions using a self-administered 5-Likert questionnaire from November to December 2020. Results: The average score of the male students was higher than that of the female students in terms of healthy weight management convergence awareness, creativity, convergence thinking ability, self-efficacy, exercise, and dietary diversity. On the other hand, the dietary restraint score and the number of weight loss attempts were higher in the female students. Dietary restraint, disinhibition scores and weight loss attempts were higher in obese adolescents compared to underweight adolescents. It was found that dietary restraint, convergence thinking ability, problem-solving ability, exercise, and dietary diversity factors had a positive effect on healthy weight management convergence awareness. Healthy weight management convergence awareness, exercise, meal amount management, junk food management, weight loss belief, and weight loss trial experience had a positive effect on dietary restraint. Convergence thinking ability, weight loss experience, and obesity factors had a positive effect on dietary disinhibition. Conclusion: The sustainable healthy weight management education of adolescents is based on weight management knowledge and awareness of convergence, and must include gender differences. Thus, the problem-solving ability for healthy weight management can be creatively cultivated to enhance self-efficacy.