| In Saudi Arabia, during the last two decades, the rates of obesity among adolescents have remarkably gone up due to the rapid increase in wealth and economic growth, which led to adopting a Western diet and reducing physical activity. The rise of obesity has widened the risk for several chronic diseases and poses a big challenge to the Ministry of Health in the country. However, Saudi females are at high risk to be more obese due to some religious and cultural restrictions, which limit participating in physical activity. The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship of physical activity to controlling weight, with consideration of the influence of socioeconomic status of girls. A total of 517 girls aged 14-19 years from the Riyadh region were surveyed in 2011 by Alqahtani, Scott, Alshahrani, and Ullah, (2014). Data about weight, physical activity, and socioeconomic status were analyzed. The overall prevalence of overweight or obesity was 49.3% (29.0% overweight and 20.3% obese). Physical activity was found influenced by family income, having a house driver, and parental education level. Participants from higher socioeconomic status were more likely to be overweight or obese and physically less active than participants from low socioeconomic. Logistic regression analysis showed that overweight or obesity was significantly associated with physical activity, family income, and having a house driver. These findings indicate there is an urgent need for implementing physical activity in girl public schools to improve girls' health and reduce the prevalence of obesity. |
