Correlation of Physical Activity and Health-related Quality of Life Among the Saudi Arabian Population: Implications for Promoting Public Health

Abstract

Abstract Purpose Physical activity (PA) is the key indicator to measure the psycho-physical-mental-socio health of society. It is a protective factor for managing chronic medical conditions and non-communicable illnesses. Nevertheless, one in five adults is physically sedentary worldwide. Therefore, this study was conducted to explore the existing physical activity pattern among the Saudi population to estimate the relation between physical activity and health-related quality of life. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted involving 572 adults between January and June 2023. A pre-tested online questionnaire was circulated via social media platforms. Data analysis was performed using SPSS (version 24.0). Results 76.1% of females and 22.9% of males participated. The walking (76%) was the major PA than other sports. Respondents reported that their comorbidities for cardiometabolic diseases lessen due to continual PA. Overall, 59.3% of the participants perceived that they felt better after engaging in PA. 35.8% and 33.6% of the respondents practice 15-30 min every day and 3-4 times a week, respectively. About 44.7% of them perceived a significant improvement in their physical and mental health after any kind of PA. A strong correlation was observed between PA and health-related quality of life (P – 0.0005). Conclusion PA ensures the overall psycho-physical-mental-socio health of society. However, a sizable faction of the population still suffers due to sedentary culture. It is a grave concern. Therefore, sport-specific mental health interventions must be implemented through novel health education and promotion strategies to educate and promote a sporty lifestyle among the Saudi population in the future.