Two-thirds of 2010 deaths worldwide were caused by non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with
cardiovascular diseases, hypertension and diabetes mellitus coming top as the causes of mortality. In
2008, 26.6 per 1000 female population deaths, and 46 per 1000 male population deaths in Saudi Arabia
were attributed to non-communicable diseases. Data about the magnitude of NCDs among young
population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) are scarce. The aim of this study was to assess the
prevalence of risk factors of non-conmmunicable diseases among female university students. Total
coverage was carried out and a cross sectional study was done using the Arabic version of the The
WHO STEPwise approach to surveillance (WHO STEPs) approach. The study showed that 3.1% of the
students were current smokers, 61.7% were physically inactive; most of the students were not
consuming adequate amounts of fruits and vegetables. The prevalence of overweight, mild obesity and
sever obesity among the students was (28.6, 15 and 3.1%, respectively). 2.5% of the students had
unacceptable fasting blood glucose level, 31.1% had unacceptable fasting blood cholesterol level and
33.6% had unacceptable fasting blood triglycerides. A significant negative correlation was found
between the body mass index (BMI) and the actual metabolic equivalents of task (MET) minutes of
physical exercises. And a significant positive correlation was found between the BMI and blood
cholesterol and triglycerides levels, waist circumference and the waist hip ratio. The study emphasises
on the importance of implementing awareness programmes on non-communicable diseases among young Saudi population to adopt healthy life styles. |
