Almalki Sultan, Tamur Shadi, Alzahrani Ahmad, Aljaid Maryam S, Shams Anwar, Alayli Maram, Alrabie Asrar, Khayat Abdullah M
Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU.
Department of Pharmacology, College of Medicine, Taif University, Taif, SAU.
Cureus. 2024 Apr 3;16(4):e57505. doi: 10.7759/cureus.57505. eCollection 2024 Apr.
Awareness about obesity, its complications, and an age-appropriate, healthy, active lifestyle are essential to maintaining a healthy life. This study aimed to determine the level of awareness Saudi Arabian caregivers have regarding obesity and regular physical activity.
In this cross-sectional study, a survey was conducted among parents in Saudi Arabia using a structured questionnaire. A convenience and snowball sampling method was employed to recruit participants from various regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire assessed parents' knowledge about obesity, its complications, and healthy, active lifestyle practices. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, and associations between variables were examined using chi-squared tests.
In this study, responses from 256 moms in various Saudi Arabian locations were included in the analysis. Merely 35.5% of the participants demonstrated good knowledge about obesity and its complications. Regarding the promotion of a healthy, active lifestyle, only 11.3% of the participants were aware that kids should eat five types of vegetables and fruits daily, whereas 85% were aware that kids should have <2 hours a day of screen time, and 75.4% were aware that kids should be engaged in physical activity for at least one hour daily.
This study highlights a concerning gap in knowledge among caregivers in Saudi Arabia concerning obesity and its consequences, with merely 35.5% of participants demonstrating a good understanding of obesity and its complications. Alarmingly, only a fraction (11.3%) showed awareness of the importance of promoting a healthy, active lifestyle. These findings underscore the urgent need for enhanced awareness initiatives focused on obesity and its prevention to ensure optimal child health development, avert health issues, and strengthen positive dynamics between parents and children.
了解肥胖症、其并发症以及适合不同年龄段的健康、积极的生活方式对于维持健康生活至关重要。本研究旨在确定沙特阿拉伯护理人员对肥胖症和定期体育活动的认知水平。
在这项横断面研究中，使用结构化问卷对沙特阿拉伯的家长进行了调查。采用便利抽样和滚雪球抽样方法从沙特阿拉伯不同地区招募参与者。该问卷评估了家长对肥胖症、其并发症以及健康、积极生活方式实践的了解。使用描述性统计分析数据，并使用卡方检验检查变量之间的关联。
在本研究中，分析纳入了来自沙特阿拉伯不同地点的256位母亲的回复。仅有35.5%的参与者对肥胖症及其并发症有充分了解。关于促进健康、积极的生活方式，只有11.3%的参与者意识到孩子应该每天吃五种蔬菜和水果，而85%的参与者知道孩子每天看屏幕的时间应少于2小时，75.4%的参与者知道孩子应该每天至少进行一小时的体育活动。
本研究凸显了沙特阿拉伯护理人员在肥胖症及其后果方面的知识差距令人担忧，仅有35.5%的参与者对肥胖症及其并发症有良好的理解。令人担忧的是，只有一小部分（11.3%）意识到促进健康、积极生活方式的重要性。这些发现强调迫切需要加强针对肥胖症及其预防的提高认识举措，以确保儿童健康的最佳发展，避免健康问题，并加强亲子之间的积极互动。
