Summary: Saudi Arabia (SA) has a reported obesity prevalence greater than the global average. Here, we systematically review firstly the prevalence and associated factors (59 studies) and secondly the pharmacological, lifestyle, and surgical interventions for obesity (body mass index, >30 kg/m²) in SA (29 studies) between December 2020 and March 2021 in PubMed, Medline, Embase, PsycINFO, and Cochrane. Peer‐reviewed articles in Arabic and English on human adults (aged >18 years) were searched. Among the eight largest studies with sample sizes over 10,000 people, the maximum‐reported obesity prevalence was 35.6%, with notable variations in gender and geographic region. Diet, specifically the move towards Western diet and heavy consumption of sugary beverages, and high levels of inactivity are major contributing factors to obesity. The reported obesity‐risk polymorphisms are not specific. Bariatric surgery is underrepresented, and in general, there is a lack of nationally coordinated studies on weight loss interventions. In particular, the systematic review did not find a body of research on psychological interventions. There is no trial data for the use of GLP‐1 analogs in SA, despite their widespread use. These findings can help policymakers, and practitioners prioritize future research efforts to reduce obesity prevalence in SA.

Background: COVID-19 virus has been reported as a pandemic in March 2020 by the WHO. Having a balanced and healthy diet routine can help boost the immune system, which is essential in fighting viruses. Public Health officials enforced lockdown for residents resulting in dietary habits change to combat sudden changes. Design and methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through an online survey to describe the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the eating habits, quality and quantity of food intake among adults in Saudi Arabia. SPSS version 24 was used to analyze the data. Comparison between general dietary habits before and during COVID-19 for ordinal variables was performed by Wilcoxon Signed Rank test, while McNemar test was performed for nominal variables. The paired samples t-test was used to compare the total scores for food quality and quantity before and during COVID-19 periods. Results: 2706 adults residing in Riyadh completed the survey. The majority (85.6%) of the respondents reported eating homecooked meals on a daily basis during COVID-19 as compared to 35.6% before (p<0.001). The mean score for the quality of food intake was slightly higher (p=0.002) before the COVID-19 period (16.46±2.84) as compared to the during period (16.39±2.79). The quantity of food mean score was higher (p<0.001) during the COVID-19 period (15.70±2.66) as compared to the before period (14.62±2.71). Conclusion: Dietary habits have changed significantly during the COVID-19 pandemic among Riyadh residents. Although some good habits increased, the quality and the quantity of the food was compromised. Public Health officials must focus on increased awareness on healthy eating during pandemics to avoid negative consequences. Future research is recommended to better understand the change in dietary habits during pandemics using a detailed food frequency questionnaire.

Background: Saudi Arabia is experiencing rapid development of the built environment and implementing policy changes to promote physical activity (PA) and reduce sedentary behavior (SB) among its population. In light of these developments, this scoping review systematically summarized population levels of PA/SB in Saudi Arabia. Methods: The authors searched 6 databases on December 13, 2021, for articles published in English or Arabic from 2018 to the search date. Studies using population-based sampling in Saudi Arabia and measuring PA/SB were included. Results: Of the 1272 records found, 797 were screened, and 19 studies (9 on children/adolescents age 6–19 y and 10 on adults age 15–75 y) were included. All studies were cross-sectional in design, and 18 studies collected data at only one point in time, ranging from 2009 to 2020. A total of 18 studies relied on self-reporting to assess PA/SB using a variety of questionnaires. Among children/adolescents, approximately 80% to 90% did not attain at least 60 minutes per day of moderate to vigorous PA and 50% to 80% engaged in ≥2 hours per day of screen time or SB. Among adults, approximately 50% to 95% had low or insufficient PA (eg, less than meeting PA guidelines) and about half had a sitting time of ≥5 hours per day. Population-based studies were not found among children 75 years. Conclusions: A high proportion of participants in the reviewed studies did not meet PA recommendations and spent excessive time in SB. Ongoing surveillance efforts for all ages may help identify target populations for interventions and prioritize the national strategy on PA/SB in Saudi Arabia.

California Health Interview Survey (2005–2015) data were used to examine the association between dietary intake frequencies and mental health – Kessler-6 scores categorised as no/low (NLPD), moderate (MPD) or serious psychological distress (SPD). The 245,891 surveys represented 27.7 million adults annually, with 13.2% having MPD and 3.7% SPD. Survey-adjusted regression adjusting for gender, age, race, education, poverty, marital status, BMI, geography and year found MPD and SPD associated with lower consumption of fruits (adjusted odds ratio 0.79 and 0.65, respectively), vegetables (AOR 0.81 and 0.68), and increased consumption of French fries (AOR 1.24, 1.30), fast food (AOR 1.32, 1.27), soda (AOR 1.23, 1.26) and variance-adjusted daily teaspoons of sugar (coefficients 3.05, 4.21), all p-values less than 0.001. In this large population-based sample, moderate and SPD were independently associated with unhealthy diet. Targeted public health interventions could focus on young adults and those with less than 12 years of education. Graphical Abstract

Background: Social media can be a cost-effective instant tool for exchanging health information among those with chronic diseases. However, few studies have analyzed the nexus between chronic disease and patients' use of the internet for health-related purposes. Objective: The objective of this study is to determine if chronic disease patients in the United States use social media platforms to share health information and/or join groups of similar condition. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study conducted a secondary analysis of the Health Information Trends Survey dataset 5 (cycle 1 of 2017 and cycle 2 of 2018) (N = 6650), which is nationally representative of American adults. A series of chi-square tests was carried to examine the association between using social media by chronic disease patients and (a) sharing health information and (b) participating in relevant health groups. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine significant findings. Results: In terms of sharing health information on social media sites, those who were aged 18–49 years (P < 0.0001) and underweight (P = 0.04) were more likely to share health information on social media, while males were less likely to do so (P < 0.0001). In terms of joining relevant health groups on social media, predictors were being aged 35–49 years (P = 0.008), having a Bachelor's or postbaccalaureate degree (P < 0.02) and having depression or anxiety disorder (P = 0.004); males were less likely to join such groups (P = 0.0004). Conclusion: Individuals with chronic conditions, except depression or anxiety disorder, were not likely to participate in social media support groups. Future studies should explore how social media can be used to effectively engage those with chronic diseases, which may assist in disease management.

Introduction: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a global pandemic with significant morbidity and mortality. The Saudi government adopted mandatory home quarantine and curfew hours for all residents, excluding essential service workers. During the lockdown, the public's fear of infection can adversely impact mental health, causing psychological distress. The objective of this research is to assess frequency of depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) among the general population during COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study using the Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised assessment test (OCI-R) in Arabic and English languages distributed via social media platforms. Chi-square test was used with significance determined at p<0.005. Results: We received a total of 2187 responses. Our results showed that being female, single, and unemployed had a higher frequency of suffering from depression whereas higher income levels and higher education was associated with less depression frequency. Increasing age, males, married individuals, higher income groups, higher levels of education and employed individuals were more likely to have OCD during COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion: The COVID-19 pandemic period is associated with significant mental health risks among the Saudi population. The results can provide further scientific support to better understand the impact of quarantine on psychological distress and mental health during emergency and disaster situations.