PD626 - LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOUR AND DETERMINANTS OF CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK IN SAUDI ADOLESCENTS

PD626

LIFESTYLE BEHAVIOUR AND DETERMINANTS OF CARDIOMETABOLIC RISK IN SAUDI ADOLESCENTS

N. M. Bawazeer^1,*, A. S. Alzaben¹, M. Al-Sharafa², S. Alonazi², S. Faloudah², A. S. Altalhi³, S. A. Alothman³, A. A. Almasud²

¹Department of Health Sciences, ²Biobank department, Health Sciences Research Center, ³Lifestyle and Health Research, Health Sciences Research Center, Princess Nourah bint Abdulrahman University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Rationale: Early metabolic alterations often occur as a cluster, increasing susceptibility to chronic diseases. Given the pivotal role of adolescent lifestyle in shaping lifelong health, this research aims to assess lifestyle behaviors and determinants of cardiometabolic health among adolescents in Saudi Arabia.

Methods: This is an ongoing cross-sectional study involving 315 Saudi adolescents aged 14 to 18 years old who are medically healthy and recruited from public schools. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire covering demographic characteristics and lifestyle factors, such as smoking, physical activity, sedentary behavior, dietary behavior, and sleep duration. Abdominal obesity was measured using waist circumference. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) was defined as having at least three out of five criteria: elevated triglycerides, fasting blood glucose, blood pressure, waist circumference, and low HDL-cholesterol, per IDF cut-offs for individuals aged ≥16 years.

Results: The mean age of participants was 16.3 ± 0.91 years, and 58.4% were female. The most prevalent cardiovascular risk factors were low HDL-cholesterol (53.5%), high diastolic blood pressure (13%), and abdominal obesity (11.1%). Overall, 22.2% had obesity, and MetS was identified in 2.2% of the sample. Regarding lifestyle behaviour, 45.1% of participants slept less than 8 hours during weekdays, 48.7% were physically inactive, 43.1% exhibited high sedentary behaviour. In addition, 14.2% did not eat breakfast, 75.9% had low fruit and/or vegetables intake, 41.9% consumed carbonated soft drinks daily, and 62% reported weekly fast-food consumption.

Conclusion: Saudi Adolescent exhibited high rates of low HDL, low physical activity, high diastolic blood pressure, and abdominal obesity, highlighting the need for early interventions targeting diet, exercise, and sleep to reduce future cardiometabolic risk.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared