Abstract
This work aimed to summarize the benefits of physical activity and the importance of counseling by a physician to promote physical activity in a primary health care setting in Saudi Arabia. Despite established evidence that physical activity is effective for reducing the risk of non-communicable diseases, as well as the importance and cost-effectiveness of physical activity counseling in the primary care setting, few studies have been conducted regarding physical activity counseling in Saudi Arabia.
Article PDF
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
References
Caspersen CJ, Powell KE, Christenson GM. Physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness: definitions and distinctions for health-related research. Public Health Rep 1985;100:126–31.
World Health Organization. Physical activity, http://www.who.int/topics/physical_activity/en/ [accessed 2016].
World Health Organization. Global recommendations on physical activity for health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2010.
World Health Organization. Saudi Arabia Diabetes country profiles 2016. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2016.
Al-Hazzaa HM. The public health burden of physical inactivity in Saudi Arabia. J Fam Commun Med 2004;11:45–51.
Ministry of Health. Survey of Health Information in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 2013.
Kraus WE, et al.; American Heart Association Physical Activity Committee of the Council on Lifestyle and Metabolic Health, Council on Clinical Cardiology, Council on Hypertension, and Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing. The National Physical Activity Plan: A call to action from the American Heart Association. Circulation 2015;131:1932–40.
Blake H, Mo P, Malik S, Thomas S. How effective are physical activity interventions for alleviating depressive symptoms in older people? A systematic review. Clin Rehabil 2009;23:873–87.
Pescatello LS. ACSM’s guidelines for exercise testing and prescription. American College of Sports Medicine, tenth edition. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2017.
Lee I-M, Shiroma EJ, Lobelo F, Puska P, Blair SN, Katzmarzyk PT. Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group. Effect of physical inactivity on major non-communicable diseases worldwide: an analysis of burden of disease and life expectancy. Lancet 2012;380:219–29.
Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee Report, 2008. To the Secretary of Health and Human Services. 2008, Washington (DC): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; 2008.
McKinney J et al. The health benefits of physical activity and cardiorespiratory fitness. Br Columbia Med J 2016;58:131–7.
Rahim HFA, Sibai A, Khader Y, et al. Non-communicable diseases in the Arab world. Lancet 2014;383:356–67.
Eakin EG, Smith BJ, Bauman AE. Evaluating the population health impact of physical activity interventions in primary care—Are we asking the right questions? J Phys Activ Health 2005;2:197–215.
Elley R, Kerse N, Arroll B, Swinburn B, Ashton T, Robinson E. Cost-effectiveness of physical activity counselling in general practice. N Z Med J 2004;117: U1216.
Ministry of Health. Statistical Yearbook 1436H. Ministry of Health; 2015.
Mabry R, Koohsari MJ, Bull F, Owen N. A systematic review of physical activity and sedentary behaviour research in the oil-producing countries of the Arabian Peninsula. BMC Public Health 2016;16:1003.
Al-Zalabani A, Al-Hamdan N, Saeed A. The prevalence of physical activity and its socioeconomic correlates in Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional population-based national survey. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2015;10:208–15.
Ding D et al. Lancet Physical Activity Series 2 Executive Committee. The economic burden of physical inactivity: a global analysis of major non-communicable diseases. Lancet 2016;388:1311–24.
World Health Organization. Global Strategy on Diet, Physical Activity and Health. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization; 2004.
Berra K, Rippe J, Manson J. Making physical activity counseling a priority in clinical practice: the time for action is now. JAMA 2015;314:24.
Anokye N, Lord J, Fox-Rushby J. Is brief advice in primary care a cost-effective way to promote physical activity? Br J Sports Med 2014;48:202–6.
AuYoung M, Linke SE, Pagoto S, et al. Integrating physical activity in primary care practice. Am J Med 2016;129:1022–9.
Al-Shammari MA. Are family medicine residents physically active? And do they counsel their chronically ill patients about physical activity? A crosssectional study among residents of the family medicine joint program, eastern province, Saudi Arabia. Int J Med Sci Public Health 2016;5:9.
Al Jaberi AS. Assessment of physical activity (counseling) at primary health care centers in Aseer region. Saudi Arabia. Med J Cairo Univ 2014;82:207–13.
Al Rashdi M. Attitudes of primary care physicians towards promoting regular physical activity in Prince Sultan Military Medical City, Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Family Medicine Residency Program; 2015.
Al-nahdi F. Physical activity counseling practice by physician in primary health care centers in Jeddah city, Saudi Arabia 2006. Joint Program of Family and Community Medicine in Jeddah;2006.
LeFevre ML. Behavioral counseling to promote a healthful diet and physical activity for cardiovascular disease prevention in adults with cardiovascular risk factors: U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Recommendation Statement. Ann Intern Med 2014;161:8.
Sanchez A, Bully P, Martinez C, Grandes G. Effectiveness of physical activity promotion interventions in primary care: a review of reviews. Prev Med 2015;76:56–67.
Bauman A, Reis RS, Sallis JF, Wells JC, Loos RJ, Martin BW. Lancet Physical Activity Series Working Group. Correlates of physical activity: why are some people physically active and others not? Lancet 2012;380:258–71.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Peer review under responsibility of Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.
Rights and permissions
This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (https://doi.org/creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).
About this article
Cite this article
Alahmed, Z., Lobelo, F. Physical activity promotion in Saudi Arabia: A critical role for clinicians and the health care system. J Epidemiol Glob Health 7 (Suppl 1), S7–S15 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2017.10.005
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jegh.2017.10.005