Erratic Behavioral Attitude Leads to Noncommunicable Diseases: A Cross-Sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Epidemiology
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) present a significant and escalating public health challenge in the Arab world.
• Prevalent behavioral risk factors contributing to NCDs include high consumption of fast food, insufficient sleep, and meal skipping.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between modernized behavioral risk factors and the prevalence of NCDs within populations in the Arab region.
• To identify specific lifestyle factors that correlate with increased risk of developing NCDs.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 1070 adult respondents (aged 18 and above).
• Data collection utilized a modified WHO STEPS approach with a structured questionnaire focusing on NCD risk factors.

Main Results:

• Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) affected 30% of respondents, followed by respiratory diseases (23%) and diabetes (3%).
• High prevalence of smoking (52%), physical inactivity (49%), meal skipping (24%), and inadequate sleep (30%) was observed.
• Fast food consumption was significantly associated with obesity (OR=2.72), CVD (OR=1.52), and respiratory disease (OR=2.13).
• CVD showed significant links with smoking (OR=0.69), diet patterns (OR=1.86), fast food (OR=1.52), and sleep duration (OR=0.57).

Conclusions:

• The study highlights the substantial threat posed by unhealthy behaviors to public health, evidenced by the high NCD prevalence.
• Urgent development and implementation of effective strategies are needed to mitigate the NCD burden and promote healthier lifestyles.