Does prolonged television viewing affect Body Mass Index? A case of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

Keetile

2021

Front. Med.

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Background: Over the past two decades, Saudi Arabia has made significant improvements in its population's health standards. These improvements have been coupled with an increase in risk factors related to non-communicable diseases (NCD) and a dramatic shift in the burden of disease profile. This study aims to provide empirical evidence on the socio-economic and demographic correlates of NCD risk factors among adults in Saudi Arabia.Methods: The data used for this study is secondary data derived from the Saudi Health Interview Survey (SHIS) conducted in 2013. The SHIS used a cross-sectional survey design to derive a multistage representative sample of adults to estimate the prevalence of NCD risk factors. Risk factors considered for analyses in this study were; current tobacco use, low fruit and vegetable consumption, low physical activity, overweight/obesity and hypertension. The survey covered all regions in Saudi Arabia using probability proportional to size measures. A total of 10,735 adults aged 15 years and above completed the survey questionnaire. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine the socio-economic and demographic correlates of NCD risk factors among adults in Saudi Arabia.Results: The prevalence of NCD risk factors were as follows: current tobacco use, 12.1%; low fruit and vegetable consumption, 87%; low physical activity, 94.9%; overweight/obesity 65.1%; and hypertension, 37.5%. The multivariate analysis results indicate that significant correlates of overweight/obesity and hypertension were being female, a government employee, income level, and education levels. On the other hand, current tobacco use and low fruit and vegetable consumption were generally associated with age, self-employment and being a student. For lifestyle factors, overweight/obesity was high among individuals who reported low fruit and vegetable consumption, while hypertension was high among current tobacco users and overweight/obese adults. All comparisons were statistically significant at p < 0.05.Conclusions: This study's findings indicate a high prevalence of chronic NCD risk factors in Saudi Arabia's adult population. This study implied that there is a need for a reduction in life-damaging behaviors among the adults through the adoption of healthy lifestyles such as physical activity and nutritious diets. Moreover, a reduction in the prevalence of chronic NCD risk factors among different socio-economic groups in Saudi Arabia through healthy lifestyles will have far-reaching results.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socio-Economic and Demographic Correlates of Non-communicable Disease Risk Factors Among Adults in Saudi Arabia

Keetile

2021

Front. Med.

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“…One study found that the prevalence of hypertension is increasing in the KSA, affecting 26.1 % of the adult population [7]. Other NCDs such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes mellitus, obesity, and dyslipidaemia are also on the rise in the KSA [8,9]. A recent study showed that increasing physical inactivity and maintenance of an unhealthy diet have led to an increase in the prevalence of these NCDs in the KSA [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Socioeconomic determinants and inequalities in the prevalence of non-communicable diseases in Saudi Arabia

2021

Int J Equity Health

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Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are increasingly becoming a challenge worldwide, causing high mortality and morbidity. Saudi Arabia has one of the highest rates of NCDs globally and the highest in the Arabian Gulf region. Epidemiological data indicate that NCDs are responsible for 70 % of all deaths in Saudi Arabia. The aim of this study was to examine the socioeconomic determinants and inequalities in the prevalence of NCDs in Saudi Arabia. Methods Data from the Saudi Family Health Survey conducted in 2018 by the General Authority for Statistics were used for this study. Univariate, bivariate, and multivariate logistic regression analyses were employed to examine the socioeconomic factors associated with the prevalence of NCDs. Moreover, the concentration curve and concentration indices were used to assess inequalities in the prevalence of NCDs. Results Among the 11,527 respondents, the prevalence of NCDs was 32.15 %. The prevalence of NCDs was higher among women and among elderly respondents aged ≥ 60 years. With respect to the determinants of the prevalence of NCDs, the logistic regression results showed that the likelihood of reporting NCDs was lower among people with a higher education (OR: 0.599, 95 % CI: 0.497–0.723, p < 0.01) compared with that of people with an education below the primary school level. Other factors significantly associated with the prevalence of NCDs were age, marital status, nationality, and region of residence. The inequality analysis showed that at the national level, the prevalence of NCDs was concentrated among less educated people (concentration index = − 0.338, p < 0.01), but with significant regional variations. Gender disaggregation showed that both income-based and education-based concentration indices were significantly negative among women, indicating that the prevalence of NCDs is concentrated among women with a lower income level and with less education. Conclusions The findings of this study are important for policymakers to combat both the increasing prevalence of and socio-economic inequalities in NCDs. The government should develop targeted intervention strategies to control NCDs and achieve health equality considering socio-economic status. Future policies should target women and the lower educated population in Saudi Arabia.

“…However, the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases, such as obesity, hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, diabetes, asthma and cancer, with all the attendant risk factors, together with road traffic injuries, places significant burdens on the public healthcare of the KSA. [11][12][13][14][15][16][17] In the KSA, health expenditure per capita has increased in the last three decades, yet such expenditure is comparatively low when compared with other high-income countries of the world. For example, the percentage of gross domestic product dedicated to health in 2017 was 5.74, which is relatively low when compared to the average percentage reported for the high-income Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

<p>Effects of Financial Inclusion on Access to Emergency Funds for Healthcare in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia</p>

Chirwa

Kamninga

et al. 2020

JMDH

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Background: Having access to convenient and quality healthcare at all times is not only a human right but also a goal that many countries strive to achieve for their population. However, access to healthcare might face blocks in the presence of financial exclusions. Saudi Arabia has, over the years, continued to pursue policy and system reforms to enhance its population's access to financial inclusion, as well as proper health coverage to improve health outcomes. This study seeks to estimate the effects of financial inclusion on the financial hardships in accessing healthcare in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This study uses a nationally representative survey conducted with 1009 adults, using the 2017 World Bank Global Findex Study data. The study estimates the conditional probability of coming up with emergency funds and the conditional probability of borrowing for medical purposes to understand access to healthcare. A composite value is created for financial inclusion using several variables for individuals' interactions with financial institutions, such as access to financial services and loans. Results: The results revealed that financially included individuals have a higher conditional probability of both borrowing for medical purposes and coming up with emergency funds, compared to those who are financially excluded. Additionally, the study showed that individuals in low-income brackets are more likely to be financially excluded and have a reduced chance of coming up with emergency funds and borrowing for medical purposes. Conclusion: These findings indicate that there is need for authorities to roll out a financial inclusion drive that will not only incentivise the financially excluded population to become included but that will also aim at promoting various financial products so that those who are already financially included have a wide range from which they can choose.