Pattern of physical activity among adults visiting a major primary health-care center in Riyadh, Saudi ArabiaPattern of physical activity among adults visiting a major primary health-care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study is to determine the pattern of physical activity among adults visiting a major primary health-care center in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia and to identify the determinants and barriers of performing physical activity. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study in a major primary health-care center in King Abdulaziz Medical City, Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during July 2016. Participants were interviewed using the short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. The analysis was performed to identify the pattern of physical activity and possible influencing factors. Results: The study included 305 participants with a mean age of 33.18 ± 11.45 years. The pattern of physical activity among participants was as follow: highly active (8.9%), minimally active (15.1), and physically inactive (76.1%). There was no significant association between activity levels and gender, age, presence of chronic disease, and indication of facing barriers. The total time spent in physical activity is far below recent recommendations. Male participants were more likely (69.2%) to sit more than 6 h/day compared to the 58.9% of the females. The mean body mass index of our sample was 27.63 with 64% of the participants being either overweight or obese. Conclusion: This study confirmed previously published low level of physical activity among males and females in the Saudi community. There was also a noted high prevalence of overweight and obesity. The combination of physical inactivity and prolonged total sitting time will certainly contribute to adverse health outcomes and increased morbidity and mortality.