A Multinomial Logistic Regression Analysis of the Association Between Physical Activity and Body Weight Status of University Women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

摘要

Background and Objective: Physical inactivity, excessive body weight and obesity are key communal endemic which have raised considerable public health concern in many countries, including Saudi Arabia. This study examines the association between physical activity (PA) level and body weight status among university women in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: A total of 573 university women with the mean age of 21.98±7.51 years volunteered to participate in the study. Anthropometric variables were measured according to the protocol of the International Society for the Advancement of Kinanthropometry (ISAK). A short version of the International physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ) was used to evaluate PA levels among the women. Multinomial regression analysis were performed to examine the association between PA level and body weight status. One-way ANOVA used to analyze the data. Results: The women?s weight categories indicated the following: Underweight (11.7%), normal weight (65.1%), overweight (18.7%) and obese (4.5%). Regression analysis showed that low (OR = 0.893, 95% CI = 0.642, 1.243), moderate (OR = 0.723, 95% CI = 0.477, 1.096) and vigorous (OR = 0.975, 95% CI = 0.711, 1.339) PA were related to less likelihood of being overweight. Furthermore, having low (OR = 0.750, 95% CI = 0.389, 1.444), moderate (OR = 0.913, 95% CI = 0.448, 1.862) and vigorous (OR =0.942, 95% CI = 0.521, 1.704) PA was associated with a less likelihood of being obese. Conclusion: The study established that the lower the PA level, the higher the participants? risk of body weight faltering. Similarly, the higher the women?s PA level, the lower their tendency to accumulate excessive body fatness.