Life styles related to coronary artery disease in Saudi males older than 12 years of age

ABSTRACT

The present study highlighted life styles related to coronary artery disease risk factors among patients attending a primary care clinic at King Khalid University Hospital, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia We conducted a cross-sectional study at a primary care clinic at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, during the period from 18/4/2006 to 13/6/2006. All adult male patients older than 12 years of age who attended one consultant primary care clinic were included in the study. All patients were interviewed by one consultant in family medicine during the study period. The patients were asked about dietary habits, physical activity and type of exercise, and smoking habits. Weight and height was taken for all patients by the nurse in the clinic and body mass index [BMI] was calculated for all patients. The total numbers of participants were 246 patients. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package of Social Science [SPSS] version 11.5. A p value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Of the 246 male adult patients, 45.4% always consumed vegetables and fruits in their diet, 21.5% exercised on a daily bases, 51.2% exercised sometimes, and 26% did not exercise at all. The type of exercise practiced by active participants was walking [76.5%] and sports [22.9%]. Sports included football, basketball, swimming, and other sport club activity. Only 20.7% of the participants had an ideal body weight [BMI<25], 37.4% were overweight [BMI 25 to <30], while 37.7% of the participants were obese [BMI >/= 30]. 8.9% of the participants were current smokers. Overweight and obesity is a common health problem among male adult patients attending a primary care setting. Improved dietary habits [consumption of vegetables and fruits, and minimization of fat and sweets], encouraging exercise and walking, and helping current smokers to quit smoking are essential steps towards improving life styles in the community. It is an important health plan priority to concentrate on improving lifestyles in the Saudi community, to prevent cardiovascular risk factors and to reduce the prevalence of coronary artery disease in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Further, national community-based studies are recommended to evaluate lifestyle factors related to coronary artery disease among both males and females at different age groups in Saudi Arabia