Suliman Osman, Fadhel Ali A, Aljohani Ibrahim S, AAlsenan Turki A, Alharbi Abdullah K, Howladr Khalid E, Albensari Mohammed M, Almutairi Khalid H, AboZena Khaled M, Eldomiaty Magda A
Clinical Sciences, Al-Rayan National College of Medicine, Al-Rayan National Colleges, Al-Madinah, SAU.
Medicine and Surgery, Al-Rayan National College of Medicine, Al-Madinah, SAU.
Cureus. 2025 Jul 31;17(7):e89139. doi: 10.7759/cureus.89139. eCollection 2025 Jul.
Diabetes is a public health problem in Saudi Arabia, and the disease outcomes are highly affected by lifestyle factors such as diet and physical activity.
The current study aimed to examine the role of culturally sensitive lifestyle modifications in controlling type 2 diabetes in Al-Madinah.
We conducted a retrospective cross-sectional analysis of electronic health records among 381 adults with type 2 diabetes at two large hospitals in Al-Madinah. Data on demographic characteristics, dietary habits, and physical activity were obtained. Logistic regression was employed to analyze correlations between lifestyle and health status (e.g., own perceived energy level) and reporting odds ratios (ORs).
Of the patients, 54.9% exercised regularly, and walking was the most common exercise. Furthermore, 65.6% of the patients reported dietary changes to manage diabetes; the most frequently reported changes were a reduction in the consumption of sugars/processed foods (49%) and carbohydrates (38%). Patients who exercise had more than 2.89 times (p < 0.001) the odds of reporting satisfaction with energy levels. In general, uptake of lifestyle change was good and appeared beneficial.
These findings suggest that Saudi patients readily adopt culturally sensitive exercise and dietary modifications and that such behaviors are associated with well-being. Tailoring interventions to cultural norms, e.g., promoting walking and so-called "traditional" healthy foods, may improve diabetes control. Overall, our results support the inclusion of culturally specific lifestyle advice in diabetes management in Saudi Arabia. This has important implications for public health policy, and there is a demand for culturally appropriate interventions to improve outcomes in this high-risk population.
糖尿病是沙特阿拉伯的一个公共卫生问题，疾病结局受到饮食和身体活动等生活方式因素的高度影响。
本研究旨在探讨具有文化敏感性的生活方式改变在麦地那控制2型糖尿病中的作用。
我们对麦地那两家大型医院的381名2型糖尿病成年患者的电子健康记录进行了回顾性横断面分析。获取了人口统计学特征、饮食习惯和身体活动的数据。采用逻辑回归分析生活方式与健康状况（如自我感知的能量水平）之间的相关性以及报告优势比（OR）。
在这些患者中，54.9%定期锻炼，步行是最常见的锻炼方式。此外，65.6%的患者报告为控制糖尿病而改变了饮食；最常报告的改变是减少糖/加工食品（49%）和碳水化合物（38%）的摄入量。锻炼的患者报告对能量水平满意的几率是不锻炼患者的2.89倍以上（p<0.001）。总体而言，生活方式改变的接受情况良好且似乎有益。
这些发现表明，沙特患者很容易接受具有文化敏感性的锻炼和饮食改变，并且这些行为与幸福感相关。根据文化规范调整干预措施，例如推广步行以及所谓的“传统”健康食品，可能会改善糖尿病控制。总体而言，我们的结果支持在沙特阿拉伯的糖尿病管理中纳入具有文化特异性的生活方式建议。这对公共卫生政策具有重要意义，并且需要有适合文化背景的干预措施来改善这一高危人群的结局。
