BackgroundClustering of multiple health-compromising behaviours is associated with an increased risk of various chronic diseases. There are few studies on patterns of clustering of multiple health-compromising behaviours in adolescents. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess how six health-compromising behaviours, namely, low fruit consumption, high sweet consumption, less frequent tooth brushing, low physical activity, physical fighting and smoking, cluster among Saudi male adolescents.MethodsA representative stratified cluster random sample of 1,335 Saudi Arabian male adolescents living in Riyadh city answered a questionnaire on health-related behaviours. Hierarchical Agglomerative Cluster Analysis (HACA) was used to identify cluster solutions of the six health-compromising behaviours.ResultsHACA suggested two broad and stable clusters for the six health-compromising behaviours. The first cluster included low fruit consumption, less frequent tooth brushing and low physical activity. The second cluster included high sweets consumption, smoking and physical fighting.ConclusionsThe six health-compromising behaviours clustered into two conceptually distinct clusters among Saudi Arabian male adolescents, one reflecting non-adherence to preventive behaviours and the second undertaking of risk behaviours. Clustering of health behaviours has important implications for health promotion.

Background and objectivesTo assess whether the clustering of six specific health-compromising behaviors, namely, low fruit consumption, high sweet consumption, infrequent tooth brushing, physical inactivity, fighting and smoking, varied by different psychosocial determinants such as life satisfaction, peer relationships, self-confidence, and future orientation among male adolescents in Saudi Arabia.Patients and methodsA representative stratified cluster random sample of 1335 Saudi Arabian male adolescents living in the city of Riyadh answered a questionnaire on health-related behaviors. Poisson regression models were constructed separately for younger (13-14-years-old) and older (17-19-years-old) adolescents to assess variations between explanatory psychosocial variables and the clustering of six health-compromising behaviors, adjusting for father's education.ResultsOlder adolescents who perceived high levels of life satisfaction had a lower rate of clustering of multiple health-compromising behaviors compared to those reporting lower levels (RR: 1.22; 95%CI: 1.09–1.37), and the respective difference between those with high and those with middle levels of satisfaction was marginally non-significant (RR: 1.08; 95%CI: 0.98–1.19). Younger adolescents who reported that they felt “less than always” self-confident were more likely to have high clustering of health compromising behaviors compared to those who were always confident (RR: 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01–1.21). The clustering of multiple health-compromising behaviors was marginally associated with the frequency of evening meetings among older adolescents (RR: 1.03; 95%CI: 1.01–1.04 for each extra meeting), while the respective association among younger adolescents was marginally non-significant (RR: 1.02; 95%CI: 0.99–1.05). The association between clustering of health-compromising behaviors and future orientation was non-significant among both younger and older adolescents.ConclusionsClustering of health-compromising behaviors was found to be associated with perceived life satisfaction and peer relationships among older male Saudi adolescents and with self-confidence among younger male Saudi adolescents in Riyadh.

Unhealthy behaviors initiated at a young age tend to remain in adulthood. Accumulation of unhealthy behaviors has cumulative negative effects on health status. The aim of this study was to examine patterns of co-occurrence of unhealthy behaviors (smoking, physical inactivity, high sugar intake, low fruit and vegetable intake, and infrequent tooth brushing) among younger and older Saudi male adolescents. A stratified cluster random sample of 1213 Saudi Arabian male school students living in Riyadh city answered the adapted WHO Health Behavior in School-Aged Children (HBSC) questionnaire on health-related behaviors. The co-occurrence patterns of unhealthy behaviors were assessed using an observed-to-expected ratio (O/E) method. The results showed that the pattern of three unhealthy behaviors (smoking + high sugar intake + physical inactivity) co-occurred with the highest O/E ratio of 3.16 among younger adolescents. In comparison, the pattern of (smoking + high sugar intake + low fruit/vegetables intake) was high among older adolescents with O/E: 1.67. The current study identifies patterns of unhealthy behaviors among younger and older Saudi male adolescents. Identification of these patterns is important for health promotion interventions.

Background: The health-promoting school (HPS) is a WHO-sponsored framework. This national study aimed to explore the experiences and progress in implementing the HPS programme in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A selfcompleted postal questionnaire was sent to all 42 school health departments across SA, and the response rate was 100%. Results: Forty respondents (95%) had implemented the HPS programme. Over 400 schools were involved in the HPS programme of which two-thirds were primary schools. The most common activities addressed were health education activities. Less frequently mentioned were healthy school policies, action on the social environment, and developing links with the community. Evaluation was only through internal processes. The main perceived strengths of the HPS were increasing the awareness of students and school staff and improving the school’s physical environment. The main weakness was the lack of legislation and financial support. For further development, the respondents reported the need for financial and human support. Conclusion: This study highlights the growth of the schools participating in the HPS programme. Further research is needed to develop and fully evaluate the effectiveness of the HPS framework in SA.

Background: The health-promoting school (HPS) is a WHO-sponsored framework. This national study aimed to explore the experiences and progress in implementing the HPS programme in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A self-completed postal questionnaire was sent to all 42 school health departments across SA, and the response rate was 100%. Results: Forty respondents (95%) had implemented the HPS programme. Over 400 schools were involved in the HPS programme of which two-thirds were primary schools. The most common activities addressed were health education activities. Less frequently mentioned were healthy school policies, action on the social environment, and developing links with the community. Evaluation was only through internal processes. The main perceived strengths of the HPS were increasing the awareness of students and school staff and improving the school’s physical environment. The main weakness was the lack of legislation and financial support. For further development, the respondents reported the need for financial and human support. Conclusion: This study highlights the growth of the schools participating in the HPS programme. Further research is needed to develop and fully evaluate the effectiveness of the HPS framework in SA.

Background: The health-promoting school (HPS) is a WHO-sponsored framework. This national study aimed to explore the experiences and progress in implementing the HPS programme in Saudi Arabia (SA). Methods: A self-completed postal questionnaire was sent to all 42 school health departments across SA, and the response rate was 100%. Results: Forty respondents (95%) had implemented the HPS programme. Over 400 schools were involved in the HPS programme of which two-thirds were primary schools. The most common activities addressed were health education activities. Less frequently mentioned were healthy school policies, action on the social environment, and developing links with the community. Evaluation was only through internal processes. The main perceived strengths of the HPS were increasing the awareness of students and school staff and improving the school’s physical environment. The main weakness was the lack of legislation and financial support. For further development, the respondents reported the need for financial and human support. Conclusion: This study highlights the growth of the schools participating in the HPS programme. Further research is needed to develop and fully evaluate the effectiveness of the HPS framework in SA.

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On March 2, 2020, the first case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was dedicated in Saudi Arabia. The government established partial quarantine, and all precautions were mandatory on March 23, 2020. This in turn forced people to spend more time at home, leading to changes in the physical activity and dietary habits of individuals. In this study, we aimed to assess the behavioral changes of Saudi diabetic individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and measure the effectiveness of the behavioral changes of Saudi diabetic individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic on the control of the glucose level.A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online questionnaire sent to diabetic patients in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Participants ranging from 18 years old and above of both genders were selected. Diabetic patients (type 1 and 2) were included. All collected data for this study were analyzed using Stata 17 (StataCorp LLC, College Station, Texas, USA). A total of 223 people responded. For 45% of individuals, doctor visits significantly decreased (p<0.05), and the percentage of doctor visits also decreased for individuals who previously visited their doctor more regularly. Furthermore, the number of hours spent on tablets increased significantly during COVID-19 (p<0.05). Our findings demonstrate that there are no significant changes in lifestyle factors or glycemic control during the pandemic compared with the prepandemic year in individuals with diabetes. However, the rate of patient visits to the doctor was lower than pre-pandemic, with an increase in the rate of physical activity.