Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health

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Volume 8, Issue 1-2, December 2018, Pages 13 - 19

Lifestyle Habits in Relation to Overweight and Obesity among Saudi Women Attending Health Science Colleges

Authors
Manan A. Alhakbany1, Hana A. Alzamil1, Wajude A. Alabdullatif2, Shahad N. Aldekhyyel2, Munirah N. Alsuhaibani2, Hazzaa M. Al-Hazzaa3, *
1Physiology Department, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
2College of Allied Medical Science, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
3Lifestyle and Health Research, Health Science Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh 11673, Saudi Arabia
*Corresponding author. Email: halhazzaa@hotmail.com
Corresponding Author
Hazzaa M. Al-Hazzaa
Received 29 November 2017, Accepted 4 April 2018, Available Online 31 December 2018.
DOI
10.2991/j.jegh.2018.09.100How to use a DOI?
Keywords
Dietary habits; obesity; physical activity; Saudi females; sedentary behaviors
Abstract

The study examined the associations between lifestyle habits and overweight/obesity among Saudi females attending health science colleges. A total of 454 female students were randomly recruited from five health science colleges at King Saud University, using a multistage stratified cluster sampling technique. Body weight and height were measured, and body mass index was calculated. All participants answered a validated questionnaire to assess physical activity (PA), sedentary behaviors (SB), sleep duration, and dietary habits. Results showed that the prevalence of overweight (21.4%) plus obesity (8.1%) among female participants was 29.5%. There was no significant difference between overweight/obese and nonoverweight/nonobese females in PA, screen time, sleep duration, or dietary habits. Overall, 50.4% of the participants were physically inactive (activity energy expenditure was <600 metabolic equivalent minutes per week). Active females showed significantly (p < 0.01) higher intakes of vegetables and fruits, lower chocolate/candy consumption (p = 0.05), and higher proportion of sufficient sleeping duration (>8 hours per night) (p < 0.001). It was concluded that half of the Saudi females in this study were physically inactive. Although PA positively impacted some of the lifestyle habits of college females, overweight/obesity was not associated with PA, SB, sleeping time, or dietary habits among the participants. Future research should attempt to elucidate the key factors involved in such relationship.

Copyright
© 2018 Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/4.0/).

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<Previous Article In Issue
Next Article In Issue>
Journal
Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
Volume-Issue
8 - 1-2
Pages
13 - 19
Publication Date
2018/12/31
ISSN (Online)
2210-6014
ISSN (Print)
2210-6006
DOI
10.2991/j.jegh.2018.09.100How to use a DOI?
Copyright
© 2018 Atlantis Press International B.V.
Open Access
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC license (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc/4.0/).

Cite this article

risenwbib
TY  - JOUR
AU  - Manan A. Alhakbany
AU  - Hana A. Alzamil
AU  - Wajude A. Alabdullatif
AU  - Shahad N. Aldekhyyel
AU  - Munirah N. Alsuhaibani
AU  - Hazzaa M. Al-Hazzaa
PY  - 2018
DA  - 2018/12/31
TI  - Lifestyle Habits in Relation to Overweight and Obesity among Saudi Women Attending Health Science Colleges
JO  - Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health
SP  - 13
EP  - 19
VL  - 8
IS  - 1-2
SN  - 2210-6014
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/j.jegh.2018.09.100
DO  - 10.2991/j.jegh.2018.09.100
ID  - Alhakbany2018
ER  -