Physical inactivity and its predictors among adolescents in Saudi Arabia: A cross-sectional comparison between cities with and without a Healthy Cities Program

Article Figures & Data

Table 1

- Characteristics of the participants (N=1133).

Characteristics	n	(%)
Living in healthy cities
Yes	364	(32.1)
No	769	(67.9)
Gender
Female	619	(54.6)
Male	514	(45.4)
Age
15 years	42	(3.7)
16 years	369	(32.6)
17 years	395	(34.9)
18 years	327	(28.9)
School type
Private	170	(15.0)
State	963	(85.0)
Academic performance
Poor, average or good	158	(13.9)
Very good or excellent	975	(86.1)
Receiving physical education in school
Yes	167	(14.7)
No	966	(85.3)
Living with both parents
Yes	983	(86.8)
No	150	(13.2)
Nationality
Non-Saudi	97	(8.6)
Saudi	1036	(91.4)
Fathers have bachelor or higher education
Yes	472	(41.7)
No	661	(58.3)
Fathers have bachelor or higher education
Yes	430	(38.0)
No	703	(62.0)

Table 2

- Prevalence of different physical activity behaviors among adolescents in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Physical activity behaviors	Prevalence (95% CI)			P-value^*
Physical activity behaviors	HCPs	NHCPs	Total	P-value^*
Daily <60 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity	83.0 (78.7 – 86.7)	82.2 (79.3 – 84.8)	82.4 (80.1 – 84.6)	0.747
Weekly <3 days of vigorous-intensity physical activity	62.6 (57.4 – 67.6)	57.2 (53.6 – 60.7)	59.0 (56 – 61.8)	0.083
Daily >2 hours of recreational screen time	88.2 (84.4 – 91.3)	83.0 (80.1 – 85.6)	84.6 (82.4 – 86.7)	0.023

↵* Chi-squared test, 2-sided, CI: confidence interval, HCPs: Cities with healthy cities program, NHCPs: Cities without healthy cities program

Table 3

- Predictors of insufficient daily moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity among adolescents in Saudi Arabia, logistic regression analyses.

Predictors	Bivariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
Predictors	OR (95% CI)	P-values	OR (95% CI)	P-values
Living in healthy cities	1.06 (0.76 – 1.47)	0.747	1.06 (0.76 – 1.49)	0.736
Age in years (increasing)	1.05 (0.88 – 1.25)	0.597	1.06 (0.88 – 1.28)	0.525
Female students	2.17 (1.6 – 3.0)	0.000	2.19 (1.54 – 3.11)	0.000
State school students	1.43 (0.96 – 2.14)	0.076	1.27 (0.84 – 1.92)	0.256
Receiving physical education in school	1.47 (0.99 – 2.20)	0.057	1.08 (0.69 – 1.69)	0.729
Very good or excellent academic performance	1.47 (0.98 – 2.21)	0.064	1.22 (0.80 – 1.88)	0.362
Living with both parents	1.04 (0.66 – 1.62)	0.880	1.13 (0.72 – 1.79)	0.599
Saudi citizens	1.0 (0.58 – 1.72)	0.992	0.95 (0.55 – 1.66)	0.862
Fathers have bachelor or higher education	1.22 (.89 – 1.67)	0.211	1.37 (0.97 – 1.93)	0.073
Mother have bachelor or higher education	0.87 (.64 – 1.19)	0.379	0.77 (0.54 – 1.09)	0.143

Table 4

- Predictors of insufficient weekly vigorous-intensityphysical activity among adolescents in Saudi Arabia, logistic regression analyses.

Predictors	Bivariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
Predictors	OR (95% CI)	P-values	OR (95% CI)	P-values
Living in healthy cities	1.25 (.97 – 1.62)	0.084	1.26 (0.97 – 1.64)	0.081
Age in years (increasing)	1.23 (1.07 – 1.41)	0.003	1.19 (1.04 – 1.37)	0.015
Female students	1.29 (1.01 – 1.63)	0.039	1.21 (0.92 – 1.59)	0.176
State school students	1.13 (0.81 – 1.57)	0.475	1.03 (0.73 – 1.44)	0.875
Receiving physical education in school	0.72 (0.52 – 1.0)	0.052	0.83 (0.57 – 1.21)	0.322
Very good or excellent academic performance	0.89 (0.63 – 1.26)	0.503	0.89 (0.62 – 1.28)	0.530
Living with both parents	0.71 (0.49 – 1.02)	0.061	0.76 (0.53 – 1.10)	0.149
Saudi citizens	1.52 (1.003 – 2.31)	0.049	1.4 (0.92 – 2.14)	0.119
Fathers have bachelor or higher education	0.81 (0.64 – 1.03)	0.080	0.89 (0.68 – 1.15)	0.369
Mother have bachelor or higher education	0.82 (0.65 – 1.05)	0.119	0.91 (0.69 – 1.18)	0.466

Table 5

- Predictors of excessive recreational screen time among adolescents in Saudi Arabia, logistic regression analyses.

Predictors	Bivariate analysis		Multivariate analysis
Predictors	OR (95% CI)	P-values	OR (95% CI)	P-values
Living in healthy cities	1.53 (1.06 – 2.22)	0.024	1.51 (1.03 – 2.20)	0.033
Age in years (increasing)	1.0 (0.83 – 1.20)	0.973	0.98 (0.81 – 1.19)	0.820
Female students	1.39 (1.01 – 1.92)	0.046	1.01 (0.69 – 1.49)	0.949
State school students	1.47 (0.97 – 2.23)	0.070	1.23 (0.80 – 1.91)	0.342
Receiving physical education in school	0.61 (0.40 – 0.91)	0.017	0.62 (0.38 – 1.01)	0.056
Very good or excellent academic performance	2.31 (1.55 – 3.44)	0.000	2.25 (1.48 – 3.43)	0.000
Living with both parents	0.83 (0.50 – 1.37)	0.461	0.85 (0.51 – 1.43)	0.546
Saudi citizens	1.94 (1.19 – 3.18)	0.008	1.95 (1.17 – 3.22)	0.010
Fathers have bachelor or higher education	1.17 (0.84 – 1.63)	0.359	1.16 (0.80 – 1.66)	0.435
Mother have bachelor or higher education	1.13 (0.80 – 1.58)	0.493	0.94 (0.65 – 1.37)	0.753

Cities		Sampling frame						Sample size
		Number of schools			Number of students			School sample		Number of students
		Type	Gender	n	Total	State vs private	Total	n	Total	State vs private	Total
Onaiza	Cities with Healthy City Program	State	M	17	2786	6579	7499	4	84	198	226
		State	F	20	3793	6579		4	114	198
		Private	M	2	630	920		1	19	28
		Private	F	1	290	920		1	9	28
Almedhnab		State	M	7	1220	2520	2755	2	37	76	83
		State	F	7	1300	2520		2	39	76
		Private	M	1	112	235		1	3	7
		Private	F	1	123	235		1	4	7
Albukayriah		State	M	5	750	1650	1818	2	23	50	55
		State	F	6	900	1650		2	27	50
		Private	M	1	75	168		1	2	5
		Private	F	1	93	168		1	3	5
Buraydah	Cities without Healthy City Program	State	M	32	6596	15857	19239	5	199	478	580
		State	F	44	9261	15857		5	279	478
		Private	M	9	1929	3382		1	58	102
		Private	F	10	1453	3382		1	44	102
Alrass		State	M	8	1187	3020	3754	2	36	91	113
		State	F	11	1833	3020		2	55	91
		Private	M	2	479	734		1	14	22
		Private	F	2	255	734		1	8	22
Albadea		State	M	7	1170	2397	2532	2	35	72	76
		State	F	7	1227	2397		2	37	72
		Private	M	1	70	135		1	2	4
		Private	F	1	65	135		1	2	4
Total			203			37597	46		1133