Department of Health Promotion, NUTRIM School of Nutrition and Translational Research in Metabolism, Maastricht University Medical Center+, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
Department of Health Education and Promotion, Faculty of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Jazan University, Jazan 82913, Saudi Arabia.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2021 Apr 1;18(7):3697. doi: 10.3390/ijerph18073697.
Obesity is a serious public health concern in the Gulf States. Students are exposed to many unhealthy weight-related behaviors due to college life. However, research that gives insight into regional and culture-specific aspects and determinants of weight-related behaviors in students is lacking. The purpose of this study was to explore the potential determinants of weight change, eating behaviors, physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep behaviors in Saudi university students. Five semi-structured focus group discussions guided by Social Cognitive Theory were conducted, consisting of 33 male university students 20 to 22 years old. The data were transcribed, coded, and organized according to themes. The students reported weight gain due to personal, social, and environmental factors related to university lifestyle, such as unhealthy eating behaviors, low physical activity, high sedentary behaviors, and inadequate sleep. Both eating behaviors and physical activity shared similar personal aspects found in other studies, such as knowledge, stress, lack of time, and lack of motivation. However, there were some unique social and environmental factors in the region, such as the social norms, cultural aspects, weather conditions, passive transport dependency, and khat consumption, compared with studies worldwide. Such differences are key factors to developing effective interventions in the future.
肥胖是海湾国家严重的公共卫生问题。由于大学生活，学生们接触到许多与健康体重相关的不良行为。然而，缺乏针对学生与体重相关行为的区域和文化特定方面和决定因素的研究。本研究的目的是探索沙特大学生体重变化、饮食行为、身体活动、久坐行为和睡眠行为的潜在决定因素。本研究采用社会认知理论指导的 5 个半结构化焦点小组讨论，参与者为 33 名 20 至 22 岁的男性大学生。根据主题对数据进行了转录、编码和组织。学生们报告说，由于与大学生活方式相关的个人、社会和环境因素，他们体重增加，如不健康的饮食行为、低身体活动、高久坐行为和睡眠不足。饮食行为和身体活动都具有与其他研究相似的个人方面，例如知识、压力、缺乏时间和缺乏动力。然而，与全球研究相比，该地区还有一些独特的社会和环境因素，如社会规范、文化方面、天气条件、被动交通依赖和阿拉伯茶消费。这些差异是未来制定有效干预措施的关键因素。
