The global prevalence of obesity is increasing. Obesity is associated with many chronic diseases and health conditions. This study aims to estimate the current prevalence of obesity in Saudi Arabia and described the current national-level status of the association between obesity and various health conditions. This study is a nationwide cross-sectional survey conducted over phone-interviews in June 2020. In this study, a proportional quota-sampling technique was used to obtain equal distributions of participants, stratified by age and gender, across the 13 regions of Saudi Arabia. Weight and height were self-reported, and the obesity was determined as BMI ≥ 30. Logistic regression adjusted for age and gender was used for exploring current associations between obesity and health conditions. Of the 6239 participants contacted, 4709 participants responded and completed the interview with a response rate of 75.48%. Of them, 50.1% were female, the mean age was 36.4 ± 13.5 (Range: 18–90), and the median age was 36. The national weighted prevalence of obesity (BMI ≥ 30) was 24.7%, and the prevalence in the sample (unweighted) was 21.7%. Obesity was significantly associated with type 2 diabetes [Odd ratio, (OR) = 1.52], hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.69), hypertension (OR = 1.61), lung diseases (OR = 1.69), rheumatoid arthritis (OR = 1.57), sleep apnea (OR = 1.82), colon diseases (OR = 1.31), and thyroid disorders (OR = 1.8). This study provides an update on the recent prevalence of obesity in Saudi Arabia. It also shows the variation in prevalence rates between different regions, which might be explored further. Although obesity shows a decreasing trend, almost one-quarter of this study sample were obese. Obesity is currently associated with many health conditions that can affect the individuals’ quality of life, impose stress on the healthcare system and impose an economic burden on the country. This evidence highlights the need for action to focus more on obesity in Saudi Arabia.

Background: The rapid spread of COVID-19 worldwide has confined millions of people to their homes and has caused a substantial degree of psychological distress. This study aims to investigate the psychological distress impact of the COVID-19 pandemic among the Saudi population. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study, using data collected from 3036 participants via an online self-reported questionnaire. The psychological distress was constructed using the COVID-19 Peritraumatic Distress Index to classify individuals in the sample as having normal, mild or severe distress levels. The study used descriptive analysis and multinomial logistic regressions to examine the sociodemographic factors associated with psychological distress levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results: The evidence showed that 40% of the Saudi population are distressed due to COVID-19, of whom approximately 33% are mildly distressed, while 7% are severely distressed. The distress levels are particularly high amongst the young, females, private sector employees and health workers, especially those working on the frontline. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic is associated with increased distress amongst people living in Saudi Arabia. In support of evidence found in other countries, the study has established that the distress levels vary across different sociodemographic characteristics. Therefore, limiting people’s psychological damage demands both medium- and long-term policy strategies, which include mapping the rates of stress and anxiety for effective psychological treatment allocation and establishing innovative online methods of heightening people’s mental wellbeing.

During pandemics, healthcare workers (HCWs) may be prone to higher levels of anxiety than those of the general population. This study aimed to explore the anxiety levels among HCWs in Saudi Arabia during the COVID-19 pandemic and the predictors of increased anxiety levels. HCW participants in this cross-section study were solicited by email from the database of registered practitioners of the Saudi Commission for Health Specialties between 15 May and 18 May 2020. Sociodemographic characteristics, work-related factors, and organization-related factors were collected. Four thousand nine hundred and twenty HCWs (3.4%) responded. Reported levels of anxiety were low anxiety (31.5%; n = 1552), medium (36.1%; n = 1778), and high (32.3%; n = 1590). Participants reporting high anxiety levels were more likely to be unmarried (OR = 1.32, 95% CI: 1.14–1.52); nurses (OR = 1.54, 95% 1.24–1.91); workers in radiology (OR = 1.52, 95% CI: 1.01–2.28); or respiratory therapists (OR = 2.28, 95% CI: 1.14–4.54). Social factors associated with high anxiety levels were: living with a person who is elderly (p = 0.01), has a chronic disease (p < 0.0001), has immune deficiency (p < 0.0001), or has a respiratory disease (p-value <0.0001). Organization-related factors associated with a high level of anxiety were: working in an organization that hosts COVID-19 patients and working with such patients (p-value <0.0001). Self-reported medium and high levels of anxiety were present in 68.5% of HCWs in the COVID-19 pandemic. This highlights the urgent need to identify high-risk individuals to offer psychological support and provide up to date information on the pandemic. These data should help policymakers drive initiatives forward to protect and prepare HCWs psychological wellbeing.

This study aims to describe the distribution of low health literacy (HL) in the population in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), and to analyze factors associated with low HL in KSA. A cross‐sectional national survey using quota sampling, population‐based of residents of KSA conducted via phone interviews supplemented by in‐person interviews. The survey included an overall evidence‐based measurement of HL. Both descriptive statistics of the sample and a multivariable logistic regression model predicting low HL were developed. A total of 3557 surveys were available for analysis, and 46% of the respondents were classified as having low HL. In regression modelling, low HL was associated with older age groups (age 47‐56 odds ratio [OR] 1.60, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.30‐1.97; age 57‐66 OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.98‐1.94), the regions of Ha’il (OR 0.65, 95% CI 0.5‐0.85) and Najran (OR 1.27, 95% CI 0.99‐1.64), having been formerly married, lower levels of education (less than elementary OR 3.20, 95% CI 2.10‐4.88; and elementary, OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.14‐2.30), lower levels of income, and having sought healthcare exactly three times in the last year. Approximately half of KSA has low HL, and risk factors for low HL were older ages, lower income and education, having been formerly married, and a moderate pattern of health use. Future studies are needed to better characterize the distribution and determinants of low HL across KSA.

Background: The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on populations’ mental health has started to emerge. Objectives: To describe the mental health trends of the risk of major depressive disorder (MDD) and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) between May and August 2020. It also compares the results with pre-COVID-19 results and identifies risk factors associated with increased likelihood of being at risk of MDD and GAD. Method: This study utilizes repeated cross-sectional design, at national-level coverage of mental health screenings via computer-assisted phone interviews conducted in four waves monthly (between May and August 2020). Arabic-speaking adults from Saudi Arabia were recruited via a random phone list. The questionnaire includes the Arabic version of the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the General Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Pre-COVID-19 comparison was done using the PHQ-2 score to allow for comparison with a previous and similar national study conducted in 2018. Results: Across the four waves, 16,513 participants completed the interviews, with an overall response rate of 81.3%. The weighted national prevalence of people at risk of MDD was 14.9% overall, and 13.8%, 13.6%, 16.8%, and 15.3% in Waves 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The weighted national prevalence of people at risk of GAD was 11.4%, overall, and 10.9%, 10.7%, 12.4%, and 11.7% in Waves 1, 2, 3, and 4, respectively. The weighted national proportion of individuals who were at risk of MDD and GAD at the same time was 7.4% overall. The risk of MDD on PHQ-2 increased by 71.2%, from 12.5% in 2018 to 21.4% in 2020. Conclusions: The risks of MDD and GAD in this study are relatively high. These results can help decision makers to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the population’s mental health and the most-impacted subgroups. • In the first national study of COVID-19 impact on mental health form Saudi Arabia, the risk of depression in Saudi Arabia increased by 71.2% between May and August 2020 compared to 2018.

Although the micronutrient status of a population is of high national priority, as it critically impacts public health, limited data is available for quantifying the micronutrient status in Saudi Arabia. We aimed to provide comprehensive, epidemiological, descriptive data regarding micronutrient levels in Saudi adults. This cross-sectional study included 3432 adults aged ≥18 years (mean age, 37.7 ± 11.7 years; women, 51.2%) across all 13 Saudi administrative regions (March 2019–November 2021). Laboratory data for 14 micronutrients (8 vitamins, 4 minerals, and 2 nonessential heavy metals) were characterized using descriptive analysis. Vitamin D deficiency (64.3%) was the most prevalent, followed by vitamin B2 (44.9%) and A (9.6%) deficiencies. Among minerals, iron deficiency was the most prevalent (23.2%), followed by zinc (15.3%) and copper (8.7%) deficiencies. Most Saudi adults exhibited normal arsenic (99.7%) and mercury (99.9%) levels. Men exhibited significantly higher vitamin B2, B9, and D deficiencies than women, while women exhibited higher vitamin A, B12, iron, and zinc deficiencies than men. Younger adults demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of vitamin D and iron deficiencies, whereas older adults exhibited a higher prevalence of vitamin B1 and magnesium deficiencies. As micronutrient deficiencies are a public health concern, health policies and programs need to be developed and implemented to address them.