scholarly journals Differences among Saudi and Expatriate Students: Body Composition Indices, Sitting Time Associated with Media Use and Physical Activity Pattern

Author(s):  
Ahmad H. Alghadir ◽  
Zaheen A. Iqbal ◽  
Sami A. Gabr

Background: Being overweight at a young age is a predictor of developing obesity and related complications later in adulthood, posing a high risk to public health. Various ethnic subgroups have been identified as having a higher prevalence of overweight or obese. Saudi Arabia is one of the fastest-growing economies in the world, where the expatriate population comprises 33% of its total population. The objective of this study was to investigate differences in body composition indices, sitting time associated with media use, and physical activity pattern among a sample of local and expatriate school students in Saudi Arabia. Methods: 500 students (aged 8–18 years) from various schools were invited to participate in this study. Body weight, waist circumference (WC) and height were measured using a portable digital metric scale, standard measuring tape and wall mounted tape respectively. Participants and their parents were jointly asked to report the average time that the participant spent sitting using media (watching TV, playing video games, and using the internet and other screen-based devices etc.) per day. The pattern of physical activity among participants was measured using a short form of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). Basal metabolic rate (BMR) and total daily energy expenditure (TEE) were estimated from body weight, height, age, sex and physical activity, according to the Harris–Benedict equation. Results: Data from 450 (90%) of the participants were used for analysis. The mean age of the participants was 14.55 ± 1.74 years. Body mass index (BMI), WC, waist to height ratio (WHtR), BMR and TEE differed significantly among the participants. Physical fitness score negatively correlated with BMI and WC, while sitting time associated with media use positively correlated with BMI, WC, WHtR and physical fitness score, among both Saudi and expatriate participants. Conclusions: Body composition indices and sitting time associated with media use were higher among Saudi boys and expatriate girls. Expatriate boys and girls were reported to be physically more active than their Saudi counterparts. BMR and TEE were higher among expatriate boys and Saudi girls. Although this study provides useful information about the association of body composition indices, sitting time associated with media use, and physical activity pattern among local and expatriate school students in SA, similar studies involving a larger study sample, with equal gender representation, are further required to determine various factors associated with this link.

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (16) ◽  
pp. 8775
Author(s):  
Laura Redondo-Flórez ◽  
Domingo Jesus Ramos-Campo ◽  
Vicente Javier Clemente-Suárez

The aim of the present study was to analyse body composition, anxiety, cardiovascular, and physical activity factors related with academic performance of school students as well as to analyse differences, by age, in these factors. We analysed in 266 primary school students’ (8.81 ± 1.62 years, range: 5–13 years) heart rate, anthropometric variables to calculate body mass index, physical activity performance, anxiety levels and academic results by the average of marks. Students were divided in two different groups, firstly by their lower or higher academic performance, and secondly by age. Results showed a negative correlation between academic performance and age, weight, body mass index and trait anxiety variables. Additionally, significant differences were found by age, presenting older students higher scores in body mass index and lower physical activity, trait anxiety, heart rate and academic performance values than younger students. Overweight and obesity may have a great impact in academic performance in children and we pointed out the necessity to establish programs related with healthy habits which include improvements in physical activity and nutrition behaviours with the objective to enhance children’s health general status, psychological profile, cognitive and motor development, and academic performance.


2018 ◽  
Vol 52 ◽  
pp. 51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bimala Sharma ◽  
Rosemary Cosme Chavez ◽  
Eun Woo Eun Woo Nam

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and correlates of insufficient physical activity in adolescents in Peru. METHODS: We used a self-administered questionnaire developed from Global school-based Student Health Survey to collect information from secondary school students in North Lima and Callao in 2015. We carried out Poisson regression with robust variance using generalized linear models to estimate the crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) with 95% confidence intervals (95%CI) of insufficient physical activity for its correlates. RESULTS: We have found that 78% of the adolescents did not meet the global recommendation of the World Health Organization on physical activity in the last week before the survey. Female respondents (APR = 1.13, 95%CI 1.04–1.21), respondents who perceived themselves as overweight (APR = 1.10, 95%CI 1.03–1.18), and respondents who consumed insufficient vegetables and fruits [no vegetables (APR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.06–1.59), no fruits (APR = 1.15, 95%CI 1.00–1.31) as compared to those who consumed ≥ 2 servings every day in the last seven days] were more likely to report insufficient physical activity. Adolescents who worked after school (APR = 0.92, 95%CI 0.84–0.99), had physical education classes five times per week (APR = 0.94, 95%CI 0.88–0.99), and had parental supervision (APR = 0.92, 95%CI 0.87–0.98) were less likely to report insufficient physical activity. CONCLUSIONS: Sex, work after school, perceived body weight, physical education class, parental support, and healthy dietary behaviors were associated with insufficient physical activity. Attempts to improve physical activity should look for ways to enhance leisure-time physical activity, parental support, physical education classes, healthy dietary behaviors, and normal body weight maintenance in adolescents with integrated efforts from the family and school.


2019 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 722-727
Author(s):  
Amal Sarsour ◽  
Maysoun Turban ◽  
Adnan Al Wahaidi ◽  
Yehia Abed ◽  
Hesham Alkahlout

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mezna A. AlMarzooqi

Background: Social media became an integral part of the lives of people because it encourages social relations and shares interests, activities, and real-life connections. As quarantine and lockdown orders are prolonged, many people, as well as those physically active individuals, typically responded to this stressful condition by using social media platforms.Objective: This study aimed to examine the level of physical activity of physically active individuals and their attitudes toward social media use during the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among physically active individuals in Saudi Arabia between June 2020 and July 2020. An online survey was employed among eligible participants who completed a self-administered questionnaire that covered reasons for physical activity and attitudes toward social media platforms during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: Of these 323 participants, 29.1% were in the age group of 18–24 years, 66.6% were women, and 67.8% were single. The proportion of participants whose metabolic equivalent of tasks-min/week from vigorous activity <1,680 was 31.9%, and all of the participants follow people or pages in social media related to sports teams and fitness models. The average number of hours spent on social media per day was 2.95 ± 0.90 h. The majority of the participants showed positive attitudes toward social media used for exercise and physical activity. Of the eight variables, age, level of physical activity, and the average of hours spent on social media emerged as significant predictors of attitudes toward the use of social media (P < 0.05).Conclusions: The present survey results indicate adverse consequences of home quarantine as reflected by a small proportion of participants who had differences in levels of vigorous activities during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Social media appears to be a key avenue to promote and disseminate health interventions to promote physical activity during this COVID-19 pandemic.


2020 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Thunyaporn Phungviwatnikul ◽  
Helen Valentine ◽  
Maria R C de Godoy ◽  
Kelly S Swanson

Abstract Neutering is a risk factor for pet obesity, which reduces the quality and length of life. Dietary interventions may serve as preventive and therapeutic options for pet obesity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of specially formulated diets on body weight (BW), body composition, and blood hormones and metabolites of adult female dogs after spay surgery. All procedures were approved by the University of Illinois Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee prior to experimentation. Twenty-eight healthy adult intact female Beagles (3.02 ± 0.7 yr; 10.28 ± 0.8 kg; body condition score [BCS]: 4.98 ± 0.57) were used in a longitudinal study. Twenty-four dogs were spayed and randomly allotted to one of three experimental diets: 1) moderate-protein, moderate-fiber diet (control; COSP), 2) high-protein, high-fiber diet (HP-HF), or 3) high-protein, high-fiber diet plus omega-3 and medium-chain fatty acids (HP-HF-O). Four dogs were sham-operated and fed the control diet (COSH). Food intake, BW, BCS, blood hormones and metabolites, body composition (via dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry scans), and voluntary physical activity (via Actical devices) were measured over time. After spay, dogs were fed to maintain BW for 12 wk (restricted phase), then allowed to overeat for 12 wk (ad libitum phase). Change from baseline data was analyzed for treatment, time, and treatment × time effects as well as treatment, feeding regimen, and treatment × feeding regimen effects. During the first 12 wk, HP-HF and HP-HF-O had lower (P < 0.01) blood cholesterol than COSH and COSP. During the second 12 wk, HP-HF and HP-HF-O ate more (P < 0.01) food (g/d) than COSH. BCS change for COSP was greater (P < 0.01) than COSH from week 21 to 24, but HP-HF and HP-HF-O were not different. When comparing data by feeding regimen, HP-HF and HP-HF-O had a greater reduction in serum cholesterol (P < 0.001) than COSH and COSP. During the second 12 wk, all spayed dogs consumed more (P < 0.01) food than COSH. However, COSH, HP-HF, and HP-HF-O had a lower (P < 0.001) increase in BCS than COSP. HP-HF-O and COSH had similar serum leptin during weeks 12 to 24. COSP had higher (P ≤ 0.01) serum C-reactive protein than HP-HF-O. Overall, body fat increase in COSP was greater (P < 0.05) than for COSH at week 24, while HP-HF and HP-HF-O were intermediate. Our results indicate that an HP-HF diet can limit weight gain and body fat increase and attenuate serum cholesterol, triglycerides, and leptin concentrations in dogs after spay surgery.


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