Background Unhealthy dietary habits and lifestyle among adolescents is considered as a risk factor for nutrition-related diseases in adulthood. The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of a healthy lifestyle intervention—including physical activity (PA) and eating habits (EH)—among female students in Jizan City, southwest Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods A representative sample of 565 school students aged 12–15 years was randomly selected from four schools in Jizan, KSA. The PA and EH were assessed using a validated self-administered questionnaire. A pre-post quasi-experimental study was implemented in three phases. Results Following the intervention, the school children in the intervention groups showed a significant improvement in their EH and PA. These improvements were documented in increased physical walking measured by the number of students walking daily, the number of days walked, and the time spent on vigorous activities (54.11 ± 54.89 to 63.24 ± 76.16). Fruits and vegetables had a similar consumption frequency in both the intervention and control groups. The snacks were frequently consumed among intervention group with a significant increase in the mean number from 1.64 ± 0.93 to 1.96 ± 1.13 (p = 0.000) and fast food were less frequently consumed among intervention group than the control group (p = 0.000). The prevalence of obesity in the intervention group was reduced from 16.3% to 12.9%, while it was significantly increased from 17.6% to 19.0% in the control group (p = 0.0148). Weight decreased by 0.37 kg in the intervention group, while it increased by 0.07 kg in the control group, but with no statistically significant increase. Conclusion: In conclusion, healthy lifestyle interventions can improve short- and long-term outcomes in school children. When examining the health benefits of healthy lifestyle, the importance of dietary and PA behaviors should be considered. Keywords:  lifestyle, dietary habits, physical activity, chronic diseases, Jazan-KSA

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is rapidly increasing in prevalence with rising childhood obesity and sedentary lifestyles worldwide. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence of MetS and its components among Sudanese early adolescents in Khartoum State. Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at primary schools in Khartoum State. A questionnaire was administered to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. Anthropometric, blood pressure, and biochemical measurements were taken. Results: In total, 921 students, boys and girls aged 10–15 years old, participated in the study. The mean age of the participants was 12.59 ± 1.21 years. The overall prevalence rate of MetS was 2.3% using International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria. MetS was significantly more prevalent among boys than girls (3.4% vs. 1.5%). Obese adolescents had higher MetS prevalence than those who were overweight (14.9 vs. 2.8, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Boys had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome than girls. Early adolescents from Sudan who are obese had more risk factors for MetS than those who are normal weight or overweight. It is important to address the causes of increased risk for MetS early in life to prevent the development of the disease in adult life.

Numerous studies have reported that sleep disorders are linked to poor health outcomes. However, studies on these associations in children and adolescents in an African context are limited. The aim of the present study was to analyze the relationship between sleep duration and the presence of metabolic syndrome among early adolescents in Sudan. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on participants aged 10–15 years in Khartoum State, Sudan. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was diagnosed by increased waist circumference and the presence of two or more metabolic abnormalities (triglycerides [TG], high-density lipoproteins [HDL-C], blood pressure [BP], and fasting plasma glucose [FBG]). Short sleep duration was defined based on National Sleep Foundation (NSF) classification. Data were collected by physical examinations, biochemical analyses, and self-developed standardized questionnaires. Data were analyzed with IBM SPSS Statistics Version 24. A generalized additive model (GAM) was used for the smoothing function between sleep duration and MetS. p < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: The prevalence of MetS and short sleep among early adolescents aged 10–15 years in Sudan was 2.3% and 55.0%, respectively. A higher prevalence of short sleep was found among overweight and obese participants (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MetS among short sleepers was 2.8%. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that male short sleepers had higher odds of having MetS compared to female short sleepers. The relationship between short sleep and low HDL-C in boys and between short sleep and high TG in girls was statistically significant. The highest risk of MetS was observed at less than 6.5 h of sleep per night. Conclusions: Short sleep duration was significantly associated with overweight/obesity in the total population and with low HDL-C in boys and high triglycerides in girls. A nonlinear curve pattern was observed between sleep duration and prevalence of MetS. Longitudinal studies are needed to further determine the causal relationship between sleep habits and MetS and its components.