Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Adolescence and Early

Adulthood on Healthy Lifestyle: A Cross Sectional Study in
Al-Namas, Saudi Arabia.

Mrs.Sheeliya White Sathya Franklin, Dr. Eman Elsayed Hussein Mohammad

Department of Nursing, Applied Medical Science College for Females, Al-Namas,
University of Bisha.

Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Living a healthy lifestyle seems easy to hear, but there are a lot of barriers
trying to distract. This study may not cover all elements of a healthy lifestyle, but it will include
the main elements that lead to health. Healthy eating, exercise and good sleep will keep you at
your best. Health - “You can’t buy it, you can’t bargain it, you can’t give it, and you have to earn
it’. OBJECTIVE: To assess the knowledge, attitude and practices on healthy lifestyle (healthy
diet, exercise and good sleep) among adolescents and early adulthoods in Al-namas.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study consisted of 80 samples between 17 and 30 years old from
Al-namas. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the knowledge, attitude and practices among the
selected samples. RESULTS: The outcome showed that most of them had a good knowledge
score 58.8% the attitude score is 58.8% and the practice score is 56.3%. 22.5% had an average
knowledge, 20% had an average attitude and 22.5% had an average practical grade. 18.8% had
excellent knowledge, 21.2% had excellent attitude and 21.2% had excellent practice of healthy
lifestyle. The knowledge, attitude and practice were positively correlated and significant at the
0.05 level. CONCLUSION: The period of adolescence and early adulthood is critical to
selecting and paying attention to their own healthy lifestyle. Although the knowledge attitude
and practices are good among students, it is necessary to improve it by educating through
different media. Because the pattern of health and illness has changed in the 21st century, which
can be overcome by maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Keywords: knowledge, Attitude, Practice, Early adulthood, Adolescence, Healthy lifestyle.

Introduction
“To insure good health: eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and
maintain an interest in life.” – William Londen

The media is focusing more and more on health-related issues and the government are
spending more and more on health campaigns in Malaysia. The government's initiative to

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improve public health has undoubtedly contributed to increased public awareness of the
importance of a healthy lifestyle. Lifestyles or simply ways of life are one of the most important
factors influencing individual health and well-being (Divine and Lepisto, 2005). From a
marketing perspective, consumer health creates new opportunities and stimulates innovation at
the same time. Presents a marketing challenge to marketing specialists in health-related
industries such as fitness clubs, nutrition, health care, insurance and medical care. The shift in
consumer attitudes and behavior towards healthy living will certainly increase their interest in
healthier products and services.

The health benefits of exercise and the predominant sedentary lifestyle give good reason
to research on the determinants of exercise behavior. This paper reviews several health-related
behavioral theories and models that have been applied to understand the factors influencing
physical activity or exercise participation, and suggests future avenues for research. This paper
stresses the need to develop and empirically test a more integrative model of exercise behavior in
terms of consumer behavior. Furthermore, the conceptualization of BPT measures and model
sufficiency issues must be addressed prior to the adoption of the TBP model.

The study conducted on healthy lifestyle and life expectancy free of cancer,
cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes. The prospective cohort study done with the Nurses.
The five low risk lifestyle factors: body mass index 18.5-24.9, never smoking, moderate alcohol
intake (women: 5-15 g/day; men 5-30 g/day), and a higher diet quality score (upper 40%)
moderate to vigorous physical activity (≥30 minutes/day). The result shows that life expectancy
without diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer at age 50 was 23.7 years (95% confidence
range 22.6-24.7). Women who have no low risk lifestyle, compared to 34.4 years (33.1 to 35.5)
for women who have four or five low risk factors. At age 50, the life expectancy without any of
these chronic diseases was 23.5 (22.3 to 24.7) years for men who did not adopt low-risk lifestyle
factors. 31.1 (29.5 to 32.5) years for men who have adopted four to five low risk factors. Male
smokers who smoked greatly (≥15 cigarettes/day) or obese men and women (body mass index
≥30), their disease-free life expectancies accounted for the lowermost proportion (≤75%) of total
life expectancy at age 50. The researcher concluded that adherence to a healthy lifestyle at mid-
life is associated with a longer life expectancy without major chronic diseases.

A cross-sectional study was carried out to assess dietetic practices and physical activity in 438
medical students at a teaching hospital in South India. A pre-signed questionnaire was used to
evaluate the diet and current levels of physical activity in consenting medical students. The
result shows that out of 438 medical students, 97% knew about a balanced diet, but only 42.9%
followed it. Almost 9.4 percent of students consumed junk food each day. Compared to last year,
junk food consumption increased by 40.4% and fruit consumption decreased in 50% of students.
A significant association has been observed between overweight and obesity and the daily
consumption of junk food. More than 95 percent of students were physically active. Compared to

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the previous year, nearly 67% of students had more exercise while walking. The Researcher
concluded that unhealthy eating habits were prevalent among medical students, the practice of
physical activity was good. Therefore, it is critical to identify and take remedial action to
promote healthy living practices.

The study investigated the knowledge, attitude and practice of eating habits and lifestyle
among medical students at Hail University in Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study included 207
students aged 19-24 years from the basic and clinical levels of the Faculty of Medicine. A self-
reported questionnaire was used to assess perceived attitudes and barriers to sound practices among study
participants. Overall, most medical students were aware of the importance of minerals and
vitamins in the diet, but were not practicing them adequately in their daily lives. Most students
were unaware of the makeup of a balanced diet. Improving nutrition knowledge, attitudes and dietary
practices through nutrition education can help prevent many nutrition-related diseases.

The Cross-sectional study on nutritional knowledge, practice, and dietary habits among
4700schools children and adolescents in Ispahan province. Data were collected through a
standard 24-hour food recall frequency questionnaire developed by the researcher. An
independent t-test was used for the comparison of mean values of total food units consumed.
Quality variables were compared using the chi-square test. The data were analysed with
ACCESS 2010 and SPSS 18 software. The result shows nutritional knowledge of females and
junior high school students was more than their male and elementary school students
respectively. Though the dominances did not lead to developed practice score. The Bread and
Grain Group received daily intakes as recommended by the Food and Drug Administration
(FDA). Vegetables, milk and dairy products, as well as daily meat intakes, were lower than the
FDA recommendation, while fats, oils and sugars were higher. Compared to women, male
participants consumed considerably less vegetables and fruit while consuming more
carbohydrates, fats and meat. The researcher concluded that adolescents failed to meet
appropriate nutritional requirements, and they had an imbalanced diet, which was significantly
low in some vital nutrients and great in some food material.

The study aims to compare the differences in knowledge and practices related to
healthy living between medical students and non-medical students in Karachi, as well as to
assess perceived barriers. The cross-sectional study included 350 students aged 17 to 24 from six
private universities in Karachi, three medical facilities and three non-medical facilities. A self-
reported questionnaire was used to assess attitudes and obstacles to healthy practices among
randomly selected students. On a 10-point scale, the average knowledge score of students in
general and clinical nutritional knowledge was 5.7 +/- 1.51 and 4.4 +/- 1.77, correspondingly and
the alteration was statistically significant (p < 0.01). The diet and lifestyle score (85-point scale)
for medical students (41.3) and non-medical students (40.8) was insignificant (p = 0.646). There

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was no difference in how medical students and non-medical students viewed “work-related
stress” in their lives. 'Lack of time was cited as the most important reason for not eating and as a
hindrance to regular exercise between the two groups. The knowledge, attitudes and practices of
medical students at Karachi suggest that superior knowledge about a healthy lifestyle does not
necessarily lead to better practices.

Materials and Methods

The research approach adopted for this study is a Cross Sectional Study, with the
study design being a descriptive design. The sampling technique used for this study was non-
probability convenient sampling and the sample size were 80 adolescence and early adulthood. A
pre-tested semi-structured questionnaire was used, together with the information included in
the questionnaire was socio-demographic and questions on knowledge, attitudes and practices
related to a healthy lifestyle. The data collected were summarized and compiled based on
descriptive and inferential statistics. Data were analyzed using statistical packages for social
sciences (SPSS).

Results and Discussion

Table 1. Percentage Distribution of Samples According to Demographic Variables
N =80

Frequency Percentage
Sl.No Demographic Variables
(%)
1 Age
13-17 years 9 11.3
18-22 years 42 52.5
23-25 years 18 22.5
26-30 years 11 13.8
2 Residency
25 31.3
Urban
55 68.8
Rural
3 Education
School 23 28.7
Medical 29 36.3
Arts/ Science 28 35.0
4 Occupation

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Journal of Information and Computational Science ISSN: 1548-7741

18 22.5
Employed
62 77.5
Unemployed
5 Sources of information
Books 7 8.8
Friends 2 2.5
MOH site 19 23.8
Medias 52 65.0

The table above indicates that the majority of the 42 (52.5%) were aged 18-19 years and
most of the 55 (68.8%) were rural residents. Given that most of them are students 62 (77.5%) out
of work. The majority of students 52 (55 per cent) of social media are a key source of information.

Table 2. Assess the Frequency and Percentage Distribution on Knowledge, Attitude

and Practice among the Adolescence and Early Adulthood on Healthy Lifestyle.
N=80

Knowledge Attitude Practice

Frequ Percen Frequ Percen Frequ Percent
ency tage ency tage ency age
Average 18 22.5 % 16 20.0 % 18 22.5 %
Good 47 58.8 % 47 58.8 % 45 56.3 %
Excellent 15 18.8 % 17 21.2 % 17 21.2 %
The table above shows among the adolescents and early adulthood most of
them had good knowledge score 58.8% the Attitude score is 58.8% and the Practice
score is 56.3%. 22.5% had an average knowledge, 20% had an average attitude and
22.5% had an average practical grade. 18.8% had excellent knowledge, 21.2% had
excellent attitude and 21.2% had excellent practice of the healthy lifestyle.

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Figure 1. Percentage Distribution on Knowledge, Attitude and Practice among the

Adolescence and Early Adulthood on Healthy Lifestyle
N = 80

PERCENTAGE DISTRIBUTION ON KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDE AND

PRACTICE ON HEALTHY LIFESTYLE

Knowledge Attitude Practice

70
60
58.8 58.8 56.3
50
40
30
20
22.5 20 22.5 21.2 21.2
18.8
10
0
Average Good Excellent

The figure above shows that the majority of the population 58.8% had a good
knowledge and attitude. The practice score is 56.3% of adolescents and young adults
with regard to healthy living.

Table 3: Correlations of the Knowledge Attitude and Practice Score on the Healthy lifestyle

Knowledge Attitude Practice

level level Level
Knowledge level Pearson Correlation 1 -.036 -.008
Sig. (2-tailed) .750 .944
Attitude level Pearson Correlation -.036 1 .263*
Sig. (2-tailed) .750 .019
Practice Level Pearson Correlation -.008 .263* 1
Sig. (2-tailed) .944 .019
Table 3 shows that the correlation of knowledge, attitude and practice is significant at the 0.05
(dual face) level.

The result of the study was discussed according to the goals and results of the study in
this section. This study evaluated the knowledge, attitude and practices of healthy lifestyles in
adolescents and young adults. The results showed that the knowledge, attitude and practice
scores were good among 58.8% of the sample and correlated at a significant level of 0.05. The

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findings highlighted the need for increased awareness and practice of healthy living among
adolescents and young adults.

Discussion
An exploratory and descriptive study on nutrition and health from the point of view of
adolescents: contributions to health promotion. The result showed that teenagers choose foods
with a higher fat content, with a faster preparation time and more sugar. They are concerned
about health, but they put pleasure and taste first. They establish a relationship between diet,
body weight and health, knowing that overweight people are more susceptible to illness. The
researcher concluded that healthy eating is conceptualized by what adolescents consider to be
good or bad for their health, but that it is not directly related to their eating practices. The
contradictions between knowledge and practice are highlighted to inform propositional
interventions with this population group.

The cross-sectional study included 5777 children from sites in Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, Colombia, Finland, India, Kenya, Portugal, South Africa, the United Kingdom
and the United States on Associations between sleep patterns and lifestyle behaviors in children:
an international comparison. The results also revealed that the associations between sleep
patterns and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), total sedentary time (SED) and
screen time (ST) were significantly different between study sites, with stronger associations in
high-income countries compared with low/middle-income countries. The study concluded that
sleep characteristics are important correlates of lifestyle behaviors in children. Differences
among countries suggest that interventions to improve sleep and living habits should be
culturally appropriate.

Adolescence is a critical period of development in which personal lifestyle choices and

role models are established, including the choice to be physically active. Physical inactivity,
sedentary behaviour and low cardiorespiratory fitness are strong risk factors for the development
of chronic diseases with resulting morbidity and mortality, as well as economic burden to the
wider society from health and social care provision, and reduced occupational productivity.
Disturbing trends in undesirable physical activity behaviors call for urgent and concerted action.
Health professionals who take care of adolescents and young adults are ideally positioned and
able to convey powerful messages that promote physical activity and behavior change. Each
meeting is an opportunity to ask questions about physical activity, offer advice or identify
appropriate pathways or opportunities. The primary initial objectives are to get everyone to
reduce sedentary behavior and be more active, even a little more beneficial than none.

The above studies support the outcome of this study and the need for the study for
today's adolescent and early adulthood population. This study assessed the knowledge, attitude
and practices of healthy living among adolescents and young adults. The results revealed that
knowledge, attitude and practice scores were good for 58.8% of respondents. Knowledge,

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attitude and practice were associated at a significant level of 0.05. The results focused on the
need to improve the awareness and practice of healthy lifestyles in adolescents and young adults.

Conclusion
Present-day hi-tech world, it is extremely essential to transform to the healthy lifestyle to
prevent communicable and non-communicable diseases. These Dietary Guidelines were recently
published to raise awareness about what to eat, both in concerning of nature and quantity of food.
Everyday needs and proportions of nutrients, in addition to keeping on a routine, persistent
exercises. To help reduce the risk of nutrition-related diseases and complications, such as obesity
and overweight diseases, diabetes, hypertension, anemia, vitamin deficiency, and so forth.
Moreover, these guidelines are intended to make optimal use of the essential foods, rich in useful
nutrients, such as: proteins, vitamins, minerals and fibers. This is in addition to urging people to
avoid dependence on fast food, soft drinks, as well as sugary, salty and greasy foods. Changing
nutritional behavior should not be neglected as well. The present study indicates that the majority
of the population, 58.8% had a good knowledge and attitude as well as practice score is 56.3% of
adolescents and young adults for a healthy lifestyle. The knowledge, attitude and practice was
correlated to a significant level of 0.05. Our findings suggest that adhering to a healthy lifestyle
would help reduce the burden of health care by reducing the risk of chronic disease and
prolonging disease-free life expectancy.

Acknowledgement
The authors wishes to thank everyone who supported the successful completion of this study.

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