Impact of Self-rated Health of Adolescents with Severe Obesity on their Handwashing during COVID-19 in South Korea

Objectives: In this study, we examined the main and interactive effects of severe obesity and self-rated health on handwashing, which is the most effective way to prevent COVID-19. We report factors that contribute to good self-rated health among adolescents with severe obesity. Methods: We surveyed a stratified cluster sample of 54,848 adolescents concerning their weight and height, self-rated health, and handwashing behaviors. Results: The main effects of severe obesity and self-rated health on handwashing behavior were statistically significant; handwashing scores of those without severe obesity and those with good self-rated health were higher than those with severe obesity and those with poor self-rated health. Although the interaction effect between severe obesity and self-rated health was non-significant, the handwashing score of the group with both severe obesity and poor self-rated health was the lowest among all groups. Additionally, among adolescents with severe obesity, 81.8% had good self-rated health. Our analysis showed that contributing factors were economic status, academic achievement, and mother’s education level. Conclusions: This study highlights the urgent need for tailored health education programs to address health perception inaccuracies and promote effective handwashing practices among adolescents with severe obesity.