Lifestyle Satisfaction Among Jazan University Employees: A Cross-Sectional Study Exploring Lifestyle Choices and Influencing Factors.

BACKGROUND: Lifestyle includes habits, behaviors, values, attitudes, and economic levels that define an individual or group's way of living for people living in the same region at a specific time. In the last few decades, with urbanization and modernization, most adults, especially in Arab countries, including Saudi Arabia, have adopted a sedentary, less active lifestyle. This study aims to assess lifestyle choices and satisfaction among employees of Jazan University, Jazan, Saudi Arabia.

METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study that was conducted in the Jazan University campus in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Data were collected through personal interviews conducted by trained medical students. A structured questionnaire was filled out during the interviews. Data analysis was conducted using R software (version 4.2.3) (R Development Core Team, Vienna, Austria).

RESULTS: This study involved 1126 employees of Jazan University, with a response rate of 75%. The occupational distribution was as follows: 576 (51%) in administrative positions, 516 (46%) as faculty members, and 34 (3%) as healthcare workers. In terms of physical activity, 488 (43%) engaged in less than 150 minutes of weekly physical activity, while 363 (32%) reported no physical activity at all. Regarding body weight satisfaction, 590 (52%) were satisfied, while 536 (48%) were not. Males reported a higher satisfaction in body weight, physical activity, and eating behavior. Dietary choices, such as eating fruits and vegetables, low-fat meats, and avoiding high-sugar foods, positively correlated with satisfaction in eating behavior and body weight. The assessment of satisfaction with body weight, physical activity level, and eating behavior indicates that some university affiliates are satisfied with their lifestyle despite having unhealthy lifestyle choices.

CONCLUSION: The current findings indicate that Jazan University affiliates are experiencing a high prevalence of unhealthy lifestyles, especially in terms of low levels of physical activity, selection of unhealthy food items, and overweight and obesity. This study should be followed up by interventional designs to investigated best evidence-based approaches for lifestyle behavior change, especially among aging populations such as university affiliates.