Prevalence and Predictors of Physical Activity among Hypertensive Patients in Saudi Arabia

Abstract

Introduction: Physical activity is a lifestyle factor that helps to control and reduce complications of hypertension disease. Despite the importance of physical activity and its impact on hypertensive patients but there are few studies on this aspect in Saudi Arabia, especially in Najran. This study aimed to assess the prevalence and determination of physical activity among hypertensive patients in the primary healthcare setting.
Methods: This is a cross-sectional study that included all hypertensive patients who attended chronic disease clinics in primary health care centers. The sample was selected based on 3 stages of random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used for data collection, which was divided into two parts. Part 1 contains questions about sociodemographic characteristics, while part 2 contains questions about physical activity using the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ), Arabic version.
Results: A sample of 263 hypertensive patients attending chronic disease clinics in primary health care centers. About half of the patients were males and 61% aged less than 50 years old. About 94% had light physical activity, while 22% had moderate-intensity sports, fitness, or recreational activities that cause a small increase in breathing or heart rate for at least 10 minutes continuously. The moderate-intensity activity during work was significantly more common in males gender and young age.

Conclusions: The prevalence of physical activity in hypertension patients attending primary healthcare settings was found inadequate. Practicing physical activity was significantly more common in the male gender and patients younger than 40 years old than in females or those 40 years or older.