A Comparative Analysis of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior and Dietary Patterns among International Students from Gulf Cooperation Council Countries
[Thesis]
Ahmed, Syed Danyal
Forouzesh, Mohammed R.
California State University, Long Beach
2019
87 p.
M.P.H.
California State University, Long Beach
2019
An epidemiological transition has swept our planet resulting in a shift from infectious diseases to the increased prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). The rise of NCDs can evidently be attributed to physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary patterns. Health and disease patterns of a society change due to socioeconomic, technological, and environmental changes. A region that has seen unparalleled economic growth primarily due to the discovery of oil beginning in the twentieth century is the Arabian Peninsula countries. The political and economic alliance of these 6 nations, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, and Oman, is referred to as the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC). Numerous studies and evidence have highlighted a rise of NCDs in the region and have attributed the problem to negative changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and dietary patterns. Seeking to educate the new generation, GCC countries send their students to Western nations on scholarships to obtain undergraduate and graduate degrees. To date, there is no research measuring the behaviors and lifestyle factors of citizens from GCC countries outside of their respective nations. The purpose of the study is to examine and compare behaviors and lifestyle factors pre and post-immigration to California. A pre and post-immigration survey was administered to international students from GCC nations studying at California State University, Fullerton and the University of California, Irvine. The tested hypotheses were: (1) There is a significant difference in the physical activity of international students from GCC countries post-immigration, (2) There is a significant difference in the sedentary behavior of international students from GCC countries post-immigration, (3) There is a significant difference in the dietary habits of international students from GCC countries post-immigration. A total of 89 participants served as the sample of this study, in which 57.6% of participants were from Saudi Arabia and 28.3% from Kuwait. Based on the data, the investigator concluded that participants were significantly more active in two areas of physical activity (walking and sports) and possessed significantly healthier diets post-immigration. No significant difference was found in sedentary behavior between pre and post-immigration.