Assessment of Physical Activity among Female Undergraduate Students of Umm Al-Qura University

Abstract

Background: Whereas being physically active has well-documented benefits, physical inactivitycauses major non-communicable diseases. This study assessed physical activity levels among femaleundergraduate students at Umm Al-Qura University (UQU) in Saudi Arabia.Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted during UQU’s first semester, spanning September toDecember 2019, and involved 516 female undergraduate students aged 18 to 27 years (mean age ± SD:22.22 ± 1.8 years). The participants were administered the online version of the International PhysicalActivity Questionnaire.Results: Among the participants, 322 (62%) had a total physical activity of 236.6 ± 141.3 MET (metabolicequivalent of task) minutes/week, indicating engagement in light-intensity physical activity; 184 (35.7%)had 2997.0 ± 613.3 MET minutes of activity per week, equivalent to moderate-intensity physical activity;and 10 of the participants registered 3193.7 ± 218.1 MET minutes of activity per week, pointing to vigorousphysical engagement.Conclusion: The female undergraduate students exhibited low rates of physical activity. Understanding thesefindings may increase awareness of implications for the essential development of government initiatives,especially Saudi Arabia’s Quality of Life Program 2030, which is aimed at increasing physical activitylevels in all ages.