Assessing knowledge and attitudes toward childhood obesity among Syrian refugees in Al Za'atari refugee camp: a quantitative approach.

Background: Childhood obesity is a growing global concern, particularly among conflict-affected populations. In contexts such as Al Za'atari Refugee Camp, monotonous diets, dependence on food aid, and low levels of physical activity all increase the risk of obesity. When combined with low health literacy, these conditions contribute to a double burden of malnutrition. Yet little is known about how displaced families themselves understand childhood obesity. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practice of Syrian refugee parents and their children (aged 6-18 years) concerning childhood obesity in the Al Za'atari Refugee Camp. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative survey was conducted among 381 Syrian refugee households ( Results: Overall, 34.1% of children were overweight and 30.5% were obese. Higher parental nutritional knowledge was associated with lower child BMI-for-age Z-scores (BAZ) ( Conclusion: In this refugee camp setting, childhood obesity is highly prevalent and closely linked to parental nutritional knowledge, parental BMI, and household economic conditions, more than to food insecurity alone. Family-focused, gender-responsive interventions that combine caregiver nutrition education with economic stability and access to healthy foods are critical to reducing obesity risk among displaced children.