7% underweight (85th percentiles). Based on these findings, Madani and his associates posited that the dietary practices of Saudi adolescents were comparable to their peers in other developed countries in the West and may reflect a tendency on the part of Saudi youth to adopt more Western-like lifestyles.
Al-Abbad (1995) assessed the prevalence of obesity and a number of the condition's associated risk factors following the same criteria used in the Madani et al. (1996) study. In Al-Abbad's analysis, 700 randomly selected students from six female intermediate and high schools in Al-Khobar city ranging in age from 11 to 21 years were evaluated. This researcher determined that the respective prevalence rates of underweight, normal, and overweight/obesity were 11.3%, 60.1% and 28.6% among this sample (Al-Abbad, 1995). Based on these alarming findings, Al-Abbad stressed the need for developing a nation-wide overweight prevention initiative to help all Saudi citizens, but especially young Saudis, achieve normal weight levels and develop a health lifestyle.
Finally, a study by Al-Nuaim et al. (1996) evaluated the prevalence of overweight and obesity (defined as children who weighed more than 120% of the expected median percentile of the reference population, and overweight as 110-120%) among 9,061 male school children ranging in age from 6 to18 years of age in Saudi Arabia. Exclusion criteria in this study were potential subjects with chronic or acute diseases. The percentage of expected BMI at the 50th percentile for each of the age groups was calculated using the 50th percentile of the National Center for Health Statistics/Center for Disease Control (NCHS/CDC) reference population for the expected standard population values (Al-Nauim et al., 1996). These researchers determined that the overall prevalence of overweight among the sample was 11.7% and obesity was 15.8% (Al-Nauim et al., 1996). Based on these findings, the authors concluded that there is a glaring need for early health education initiatives to help young people in Saudi Arabia make the healthy choices that are needed to improve their diet, development, overall health and longevity (Al-Nauim et al., 1996).
To gain an overall picture of the research to date, the results of these foregoing studies are recapitulated and summarized in Table 2 below.
Table 2
Recapitulation and summary of obesity-related studies of Saudi youth
Author(s)/Date
Findings
Comments
Madani (2000)
The prevalence of obesity in Saudi Arabia ranged between 14% in children younger than 6 years of age to approximately 83% in adults.
Saudi females are more prone to becoming overweight or obese than males.
Abahussain et al. (1999)
11% were underweight, 61% were normal weight and 28% were overweight or obese.
Subjects were 676 Saudi adolescent girls ranging in age from 12 to 19 years residing in Al-Khobar city, located in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province.
Madani et al. (1996)
The prevalence rates among this sample was found to be 14.7% underweight (85th percentiles).
Subjects were 540 Saudi adolescent girls aged 12 to 18 years.
Al-Abbad (1995)
Prevalence rates of underweight, normal and overweight/obesity were 11.3%, 60.1% and 28.6%, respectively.
Subjects were 700 randomly selected students from six female intermediate and high schools in Al-Khobar city between the ages 11-21 years.
Al-Nuaim et al. (1996)
The prevalence of overweight among the sample was 11.7% and obesity was 15.8%.
Subjects were 9,061 Saudi male school children between the ages 6-18 years.
Research Questions
The proposed study will be guided by the following research questions:
A.
What is the current prevalence level of obesity among Saudi high school students?
B.
What are recent trends in the prevalence level of obesity among Saudi high school students?
C.
What are the primary causes of obesity among Saudi high school students?
D.
What are the most commonly consumed food types among Saudi high school students?
E.
What types of physical education and healthy diet information are provided in Saudi high school curricular offerings?
F.
What interventions have proven effective in treating obesity in adolescents in general and among Arab adolescents in particular?
G.
What cultural factors must be taken into account in formulating future interventions?
H.
What is the current level of knowledge among Saudi high school students concerning healthy lifestyle choices as they relate to food intake and exercise regimens?
The Design -- Methods and Procedures
A.
Data Collection. A custom survey instrument will be used to assess Saudi high school students' knowledge levels concerning healthy diet choices and eating practices. The first section of the survey instrument will consist of a series of yes/no, fill-in-the-blank...
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