Dietary Behavior of Adolescents in the Qassim Region, Saudi Arabia: A Comparison between Cities with and without the Healthy Cities Program

Ibrahim Alasqah, Ilias Mahmud, Leah East, Nada Alqarawi and Kim Usher
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Ibrahim Alasqah: Department of Public Health, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Qassim University, Al Bukairiyah 52741, Saudi Arabia
Ilias Mahmud: Department of Public Health, College of Public Health and Health Informatics, Qassim University, Al Bukairiyah 52741, Saudi Arabia
Leah East: School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
Nada Alqarawi: Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Unaizah College of Medicine and Medical Sciences, Qassim University, Unaizah 56432, Saudi Arabia
Kim Usher: School of Health, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 18, 1-13

Abstract: This study reports dietary behaviors of adolescents in the Qassim region, Saudi Arabia, and comparison of these behaviors between cities with and without the Healthy Cities Program (HCP). We surveyed 1133 school-attending adolescents aged 15–19, using a multi-staged cluster sampling with probability proportionate to size. Prevalence of daily breakfast consumption was 27.7% among the adolescents. Prevalence of daily vegetables, fruits and milk or milk products consumption was 35.9%, 28.6% and 51.1%, respectively. Meanwhile, the prevalence of daily consumption of fast-food and carbonated drinks was 7.5% and 37.1%, respectively. There was no significant association between living in the healthy cities and daily intake of breakfast (OR: 1.15, 95% CI: 0.87–1.53), fruits (OR: 1.02; 95% CI: 0.77–1.36), vegetables (OR: 1.27; 95% CI: 0.98–1.67), or milk/milk products (OR: 1.0; 95% CI: 0.77–1.29); and the daily intake of fast-food (OR: 0.81; 95% CI: 0.49–1.35) or carbonated drinks (OR: 0.80; 95% CI: 0.60–1.05). These findings warrant further in-depth evaluation of the HCP in the Qassim region of Saudi Arabia.

Keywords: Healthy Cities Program; adolescents; dietary behavior; nutrition; Saudi Arabia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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