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Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists regarding obesity management: A cross-sectional study

Haure Othman Muhammad Hamadamin
Department of Clinical Pharmacy, College of Pharmacy, Hawler Medical University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
Samir Mahmood Othman
Department of Community Medicine, College of Medicine, Hawler Medical University, Kurdistan Region, Iraq.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Haure Othman Muhammad Hamadamin, Samir Mahmood Othman (Author)

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Abstract

Background and objective: Obesity is a chronic, multifactorial condition characterized by an excessive accumulation of body fat that presents significant health risks. Community pharmacists, for instance, are highly accessible and often serve as the first point of contact for patients seeking advice on weight management. This study aims to fill a research gap by evaluating community pharmacists’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to obesity and weight management.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out among 331 community pharmacists among different pharmacy settings in Erbil city from November 2024 to May 2025. An interview was done with each Pharmacist using a well-designed questionnaire including the socio-demographic characteristics of studied participants and questions related to opinions, knowledge, attitude and practice.

Results: Out of total 331 pharmacists participated in this study, 59.5% of them were females and 40.5% were males. Most of respondents (43.2%), possessed 1–5 years of professional experience with majority worked in community pharmacy environments (77.9%). Less than half (46.5%) of them showed positive attitudes toward obesity management, especially in-patient counseling. A significant association existed between knowledge and attitude (P = 0.001), while no significant association was found between knowledge and practice (P = 0.79), attitudes and practice (P = 0.878).

Conclusion: This study assessed community pharmacists' knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding obesity and weight management, revealing that the majority of the participants had average knowledge and more than half of the respondents had negative attitude but a very high proportion had an average and good level of practice and that’s why we had significant association between knowledge and attitude which is notably a good outcome of the study. However, practical involvement was limited. The results highlight a gap between pharmacists’ attitudes and their actual practices.

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How to Cite
Muhammad Hamadamin, H. O. ., & Othman, S. M. . (2026). Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of community pharmacists regarding obesity management: A cross-sectional study. Zanco Journal of Medical Sciences (ZJMS), 30(1), 26–44. https://doi.org/10.15218/zjms.2026.003

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