Application of Social Ecological Model to Identify Physical Activity Barriers in Saudi Arabia
| dc.contributor.committeeChair | Debajyoti Pati, Debajyoti | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Hamilton, Erin | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Guerrero, Lori Anderson | |
| dc.contributor.committeeMember | Popovich, Deire | |
| dc.creator | Bokhari, Iman Abdulbasit | |
| dc.creator.orcid | 0009-0001-8436-1940 | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2024-07-29T19:58:13Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2024-07-29T19:58:13Z | |
| dc.date.created | 2024-05 | |
| dc.date.issued | 2024-05 | |
| dc.date.submitted | May 2024 | |
| dc.date.updated | 2024-07-29T19:58:13Z | |
| dc.description.abstract | Background Obesity and non-communicable diseases have been on the rise, posing a global threat. Due to this, physical activity has garnered global attention. Despite several studies proving the relation of physical activity to favorable health outcomes, many unidentified barriers prevent individuals from engaging in physical activity. This is highlighted in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where, despite government initiatives, few studies are exploring the barriers to physical activity within the country. Objective Understanding the issues that adult Saudis face in pursuing or attempting physical activity is the first step to encouraging a healthier lifestyle. The objective of this study is to identify the barriers to physical activity. These barriers include physical, mental, and perceived on individual and community levels. Methodology This cross-sectional quantitative study is the first to use a social-ecological model as a guideline to reveal the interacting factors and barriers prevalent in Saudi Arabia’s society with a descriptive design approach to identify the barriers to physical activity among adults in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The survey consisted of 230 participants across two primary healthcare facilities in Northern Riyadh, providing information for actual and perceived barriers towards physical activity faced by Saudi citizens. Institutional and social barriers were found to be the most common barriers among the specified populations. Other barriers found varied depending on the different demographic characteristics. Results Transforming and analyzing the data from the survey showed several key results. For overall physical activity barriers work was reported the most reported barrier among both men (¯x = 3.08, SD = ±1.45) and women (¯x = 3.36, SD = ±1.41). The built environment was also a commonly reported barrier among both men (¯x = 2.76, SD = ±1.43) and women (¯x = 3.14, SD = ±1.37). The data analysis showed a significant disparity between men and women concerning perceived barriers. Women reported higher barriers on individual level as will policy level barriers. Other significant results include that married individuals (¯x = 2.43, SD = ±0.76) encounter more barriers than single individuals (¯x = 2.23, SD = ±0.83). While with monthly incomes of 9,000 SAR faced more barriers than the rest (¯x = 2.51, SD = ±0.77). Education also played a role as individuals with Diploma holder were they reported individual barriers to be the highest and Master degree holders face Institutional barriers more than the other categories. Individuals in Western Riyadh encountered more barriers to physical activity (¯x = 2.61, SD = ±0.88), followed by Eastern Riyadh residents (¯x=2.52 SD= ±0.80). Finally, families with 1 to 3 children had the most barriers to physical activity (¯x=2.53, SD= ±0.75). Conclusion Many healthcare providers and policymakers aim to increase physical activity levels to address various health concerns, including obesity and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). This study identifies the barriers preventing adults living in Riyadh, SA, from engaging in physical activities and highlights how these barriers interact to limit physical activity levels among Saudis. Upon analyzing the comprehensive results of mean averages and multiple linear regression tests, it became evident that the Saudi population faces numerous barriers to physical activity, spanning five categories: individual, social, institutional, community, and policy barriers. These obstacles vary in intensity across different demographic categories. Notably, the analysis revealed that females encounter more barriers than males, especially in individual and policy-related domains. Additionally, individuals with different educational levels experience higher individual, institutional and policy barriers compared to social and community barriers. It's worth noting that community barriers were not prominent in the regression model, indicating a need for refinement in the tool's indicators to capture which community barriers require attention in future studies. However, the mean average of community barriers highlighted community norms and values as one of the physical activity barriers within the Saudi populace. Institutional barriers emerged as particularly relevant among both sexes and different age categories, emphasizing the need for further exploration of factors such as work hours, environmental conditions, and policy influences. Recommendations include further investigation into individual barriers, particularly among older age cohorts and females, as well as exploring specific policy obstacles faced by females, which were less prevalent among males. These findings can inform governmental initiatives, designers, and planners in developing suitable interventions tailored to specific demographic categories within Saudi society. They provide a framework for similar studies targeting diverse social strata. Moreover, the study introduces a novel approach utilizing behavioral economic theories of nonrational behavior agents to enhance the design of health care environments and other public spaces. This approach aims to help adult Saudis to adopt healthier lifestyles and become more active without requiring direct and conscious decision-making. The study's findings can be applied in various studies targeting specific social categories, facilitating the classification of the order of barriers these categories face and planning interventions accordingly. | |
| dc.format.mimetype | application/pdf | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://hdl.handle.net/2346/99253 | |
| dc.language.iso | English | |
| dc.rights.availability | Access is not restricted. | |
| dc.subject | Interior Design | |
| dc.subject | Saudi Arabia | |
| dc.subject | Physical Activity Barriers | |
| dc.title | Application of Social Ecological Model to Identify Physical Activity Barriers in Saudi Arabia | |
| dc.type | Thesis | |
| dc.type.material | text | |
| thesis.degree.college | Graduate School | |
| thesis.degree.department | Interior Environmental Design | |
| thesis.degree.discipline | Interior Environmental Design | |
| thesis.degree.grantor | Texas Tech University | |
| thesis.degree.name | Doctor of Philosophy | |
| thesis.degree.school | Texas Tech University |