The prevalence of sedentary behavior among university students in Saudi Arabia

BACKGROUND

A considerable body of research has demonstrated that reducing sitting time benefits health. Therefore, the current study aimed to explore the prevalence of sedentary behavior (SB) and its patterns.

METHODS

A total of 6975 university students (49.1% female) were chosen randomly to participate in a face-to-face interview. The original English version of the sedentary behavior questionnaire (SBQ) was previously translated into Arabic. Then, the validated Arabic version of the SBQ was used to assess SB. The Arabic SBQ included 9 types of SB (watching television, playing computer/video games, sitting while listening to music, sitting and talking on the phone, doing paperwork or office work, sitting and reading, playing a musical instrument, doing arts and crafts, and sitting and driving/riding in a car, bus or train) on weekdays and weekends.

RESULTS

SBQ indicated that the total time of SB was considerably high (478.75 ± 256.60 and 535.86 ± 316.53 (min/day) during weekdays and weekends, respectively). On average, participants spent the most time during the day doing office/paperwork (item number 4) during weekdays (112.47 ± 111.11 min/day) and weekends (122.05 ± 113.49 min/day), followed by sitting time in transportation (item number 9) during weekdays (78.95 ± 83.25 min/day) and weekends (92.84 ± 100.19 min/day). The average total sitting time of the SBQ was 495.09 ± 247.38 (min/day) and 58.4% of the participants reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day). Independent t-test showed significant differences (P ≤ 0.05) between males and females in all types of SB except with doing office/paperwork (item number 4). The results also showed that male students have a longer daily sitting time (521.73 ± 236.53 min/day) than females (467.38 ± 255.28 min/day). Finally, 64.1% of the males reported a high amount of sitting time (≥ 7 hours/day) compared to females (52.3%).

CONCLUSION

In conclusion, the total mean length of SB in minutes per day for male and female university students was considerably high. About 58% of the population appeared to spend ≥7 h/day sedentary. Male university students are likelier to sit longer than female students. Our findings also indicated that SB and physical activity interventions are needed to raise awareness of the importance of adopting an active lifestyle and reducing sitting time.

Application of Date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) Fruit in the Composition of a Novel Snack Bar

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the possibilities for using date fruit from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the formulation of a novel snack bar while replacing the used honey with date paste. The technological, textural, microbiological and sensory qualities of the obtained food products were evaluated during storage for 12 days after their production. Date palm fruit in the form of date paste was used as an ingredient in the composition of the new snack bars that also included nuts and dried fruits. Five formulations were prepared: a control bar, snack bar with 40% date paste, snack bar with 50% date paste, snack bar with 60% date paste, and snack bar with 70% dates paste. The resulting date paste's textural characteristics supported the bonding potential of the food system and gave a sweet taste to the final product. The formulations containing 50% date paste presented the highest overall acceptability and were the formulation with the best sensory characteristics. Thus, the addition of date paste in snack bars would be a good option to develop a functional product that contributes to rational nutrition principles. The obtained values in the current study confirmed the technological and functional potential of date fruit as a product that can find adequate application in the composition of foods with functional properties.

Moderation Effect of Physical Activity on the Relationship Between Fear of COVID-19 and General Distress: A Pilot Case Study in Arabic Countries

Aims

This study aimed to investigate the effects of the fear of COVID-19, level of physical activity, and gender on negative stress (distress) in an Arab population by means of structural equations based on partial least squares.

Materials and Methods

The sample population comprised of 459 participants from four Arab countries (age M = 33.02, SD = 8.46; n = 237 women and n = 222 men). The level of education was basic (<9 years of study; n = 144), secondary/vocational (between 9 and 12; n = 178), and university (n = 137). The “Fear of COVID-19” Scale, the short form of the “International Physical Activity Questionnaire,” and the “Perceived Stress Scale” questionnaires were disseminated by emails and social networks via Google Forms. SMARTPLS software version 3.2.9 was used to model the relationships between the variables under study.

Results

Results confirmed the links between level of physical activity, fear of COVID-19, and gender, showing a significant mediating effect of the fear of COVID-19 on the relationship between gender and general distress. The level of physical activity was also found to influence the fear of COVID-19, varying depending on gender. In addition, the model highlighted the presence of a moderation effect of the level of physical activity.

Conclusion

Based on the model presented in the present study, we can conclude that the COVID-19 pandemic has a profound impact on psychological distress in the target populations. The impact of the level of physical activity on psychological distress is shown to be very important during the pandemic phase.

The prevalence of doping among Saudi athletes: Results from the National Anti-Doping Program

OBJECTIVES

The abuse of substances banned by anti-doping authorities is a significant problem in sports. Recently, several doping cases have been reported by the media. Additionally, a large number of athletes have been found guilty of using banned substances. Although athletes believe that doping is against the spirit of sports and are aware of its consequences, they continue to use these substances. The consumption of banned substances among Saudi athletes is rising. This study aimed to investigate the abuse of drugs among Saudi athletes.

METHODS

A systematic random sampling cross-sectional survey was administered to all 15-45-year-old Saudi male athletes who were registered with Saudi Sports Federations and the General Sports Authority. From 2009 to 2018, 388 doping control officers participated in the National Anti-Doping Program across 460 facilities. The study necessitated 171 city visits for data collection.

RESULTS

A total of 6306 samples were tested during the study period. There were 6165 negative and 141 (2.24%) positive samples for doping. We report a doping prevalence of 2.24% among Saudi athletes. During the study period, Saudi athletes from all types of sports were tested positive for doping. The number of positive samples was significantly higher among competing athletes than non-competing athletes.

CONCLUSION

Doping is a significant problem in KSA. For safe and fair play by all Saudi athletes, the National Anti-Doping Program should enhance the educational campaigns for all athletes in the country.

A comparative study of extraction techniques for maximum recovery of β-galactosidase from the yogurt bacterium Lactobacillus delbrueckii ssp. bulgaricus

The study reported in this research communication evaluates the chemical (solvents) and mechanical (sonication, bead-beater) extraction methods to determine the maximum recovery of β-galactosidase from L. bulgaricus spp. Among all extraction techniques, sonication-assisted extraction yielded the highest amounts of enzyme activity (between 1892-2156 Miller Units) in cell-free extract (supernatant). Interestingly, solvent extracted enzyme activities were found to be very low (between 83-153 Miller Units) in supernatant. SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the total protein determination showed that mechanical methods can completely lyse the cells. Our results thus demonstrated that the mechanical extraction method of sonication is the best one for recovering the maximum amount of lactase from L. bulgaricus strains.

Use of Phytone Peptone to Optimize Growth and Cell Density of Lactobacillus reuteri

The objective of this study was to determine the use of phytone peptone to optimize the growth and cell density of Lactobacillus reuteri. Four strains of L. reuteri (DSM 20016, SD 2112, CF 2-7F, and MF 2-3,) were used in this study. An overnight culture of individual strains was inoculated into fresh basal media with various protein sources (peptone, tryptone, proteose peptone #3, phytone peptone, tryptic soy broth, yeast extract, and beef extract). Samples were then mixed well and incubated at 37 °C for 15 h. Bacterial growth was monitored by measuring turbidity (optical density 610 nm) at different time intervals during the incubation period. At the end of incubation, samples were plated on de-Man Rogosa Sharpe (MRS) agar to determine the bacterial population. Our results showed that phytone peptone promoted the growth of L. reuteri (p < 0.05) by 1.4 log CFU/mL on average compared to the control samples. Therefore, phytone peptone could be included in laboratory media to enhance growth and increase the cell density of L. reuteri.