title: On Your Mark, Get Set, Go: Levels of Physical Activity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 2013.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  With the lack of appropriate data, we conducted a large household survey in 2013 to determine current rates of physical activity in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA).
  
  
  METHODS
  The Saudi Health Interview Survey is a national multistage survey of individuals aged 15 years or older. We used a multivariate logistic regression model to measure association between sociodemographic and selected characteristics and meeting the recommended levels of moderate and vigorous weekly physical activity.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of a total of 12,000 households contacted, 10,735 (89.4%) participants completed Saudi Health Interview Survey. An estimated 4.5 million (34.5%) Saudis aged 15 years or older reported no weekly physical activity, while only 1.7 million (12.9%) meet the recommended levels of moderate physical activity (MPA). The likelihood of meeting MPA decreased with age, education, among women, those with a history of diagnosis of select chronic conditions, including diabetes. Similar results were found for the likelihood of meeting the recommended levels of vigorous weekly physical activity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We found very low levels of physical activity in KSA. Perhaps, KSA can challenge communities or employers to devise solutions and reward those with the best results. These solutions would be of great value to other Gulf countries, as well.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
authors.forename: Charbel
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: El Bcheraoui
authors.forename: Marwa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tuffaha
authors.forename: Farah
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Daoud
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kravitz
authors.forename: Mohammad A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Al Mazroa
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al Saeedi
authors.forename: Ziad A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Memish
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Basulaiman
authors.forename: Abdullah A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Al Rabeeah
authors.forename: Ali H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Mokdad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002908:Chronic Disease / Q000453:epidemiology; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D015444:Exercise; D005191:Family Characteristics; D005260:Female; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D012111:Residence Characteristics; D012529:Saudi Arabia / Q000453:epidemiology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors