Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior pose significant health concerns, particularly among young adults like college students. However, little research exists on the attitudes towards physical activity among Saudi Arabian healthcare students. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of physical activity and determine the reason for being physically inactive among students and interns across all programs in the College of Applied Medical Sciences (CAMS) at King Saud University (KSU), Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional online survey was conducted between March and May 2023. CAMS students aged 18 and above, fluent in Arabic or English, and willing to participate were included. The Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) was used to measure physical activity. Descriptive statistics were used for data analysis. Out of 433 respondents, 377 met the inclusion criteria (response rate: 89.3%). Physical activity prevalence was 54.60%, with walking being the most common activity (42.70%). Lack of time was the primary reason for inactivity (51.40%). On average, students engaged in 1.5 hours/day of vigorous-intensity activities and 1.3 hours/day of vigorous-intensity sports and fitness activities at work. Sedentary behavior, characterized by continuous sitting, averaged 5.37 hours per day. Approximately half of CAMS students are physically active, while 20% rely solely on short walks due to time constraints, limited activity hours, or sedentary habits. A lack of time was cited as the primary reason for inactivity by most students. Future research should focus on strategies to enhance physical activity among healthcare students. In addition, academicians and policymakers should propose time-efficient initiatives that accommodate the demanding and busy schedules of healthcare students.

Background: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) affect millions of people worldwide. Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) is a valid and reliable tool to assess the health of patients with MSD. However, this scale is not available in the Arabic language. The purpose of this study was to translate and cross-culturally adapt the Musculoskeletal Health Questionnaire (MSK-HQ) into Arabic (MSK-HQ-Ar) and evaluate its validity and reliability among participants with MSD. Methods: This cross-sectional study used guidelines from the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) to translate as well as validate the psychometric properties of MSK-HQ-Ar. Patients with MSD (n = 149) living in Taif participated in the study. Cronbach’s alpha and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were used to assess internal consistency and test-retest reliability of MSK-HQ-Ar respectively. Spearman’s correlation was used to assess the correlation between MSK-HQ-Ar and the European quality of life five-dimension, five-level scale (EQ-5D-5L). Results: Out of 149 participants, 119 completed the MSK-HQ-Ar twice. The scale showed good internal consistency, Cronbach’s alpha (0.88), and reliability (ICC 0.92–0.95). A strong association was found with the EQ-5D-5L scores. Conclusion: The adapted MSK-HQ-Arabic version revealed acceptable psychometric properties and is a valid and reliable outcome measure to assess MSK health among Arabic speaking patients with MSD.

Supermarket cashiers face a significant amount of stress, including time constraints, mental pressure, and physical demands that require repetitive movements. The job description of a supermarket cashier involves work-related risk factors that may lead to musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) symptoms. This study aimed to investigate supermarket cashiers to determine the prevalence of MSD symptoms and their quality of life. Data were collected from a convenience sample of supermarket cashiers working in Saudi Arabia. Information included direct questions on pain in the previous 12 months, demographic data, and health- or occupation-related factors. Moreover, data was collected based on the 36-item short form survey (SF-36), and descriptive statistics were computed. A total of 193 supermarket cashiers participated in this study. The sample included 140 men (72.5%) and 53 women (27.5%), with a mean age of 27.2 ± 6.4 years. The majority of the participants (90%) had MSD symptoms in at least one body region, with the neck (66.84%) and lower back (65.80%) constituting the most prominent regions. The mean SF-36 scores were higher in participants without pain compared to participants with pain in all domains, except for the physical functioning domain. The high prevalence of MSD symptoms among young cashiers suggest the need for additional investigations to determine the risk factors of these disorders. Additionally, this study recommends preventive procedures to reduce the prevalence of MSD symptoms among cashiers.

This study aimed to describe patients’ perceptions of tele-rehabilitation (TR) and investigate the association between TR-related factors and both the patients’ age and type of rehabilitation services. A cross-sectional survey was conducted to obtain data about patients’ demographic and medical information, technological familiarity as well as patients’ experience and opinions about TR. The 227 patients completing the survey reported a mean ± SD age of 40.7 ± 13.9 years and musculoskeletal disorders as the most common condition treated by TR. The majority of patients expressed satisfaction and confidence with their therapists’ ability to assess and treat their problems using TR. Approximately 75.3% of participants stated that therapists demonstrated a strong understanding of their health conditions, while 82% reported that TR entailed a convenient service during COVID-19. The study found associations between age and patient's ability and confidence to use technology as well as a relationship between the type of treatment received and participants’ overall opinions. Patients demonstrated acceptance, confidence, and satisfaction with TR during COVID-19. Patient age and treatment type fulfill a major role in patients’ perceptions of TR.

Background: Foot Function Index (FFI) is a valid and reliable outcome measure, which is widely used to measure the foot and ankle functional level and disorders. Until now, no validated Arabic version of the FFI is available. This study was conducted at a tertiary care hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The purpose of this project was to translate and adapt the FFI into Arabic and to evaluate its psychometric properties of validity and reliability. Methods: The study consisted of two phases. The first phase was the translation and cultural adaptation of the FFI to Arabic. The next phase involved, testing the psychometric properties of the Arabic version of the FFI on a sample of 50 consecutive participants which included internal consistency, test–retest reliability, floor and ceiling effects and construct validity. Results: The mean age of the study participants was 38 ± 12.94 years. Both the genders were evenly enrolled with 50% of the participants as male and 50% as female. Majority of them complained of plantar fasciopathy (32%) followed by pes planus (22%) and ankle sprain (18%). The scores of FFI-Ar were normally distributed, confirmed by a significant Shapiro–Wilk test. The mean value of FFI-Ar total score was 47.73 ± 19.85. There were no floor or ceiling effects seen in any of the subscales and total score. The internal consistency was good with the Cronbach’s alpha value of 0.882, 0.936 and 0.850 for the pain, disability and activity limitation subscales, respectively. The reproducibility of the FFI-Ar was analysed by intra-class correlation coefficient which revealed good to excellent test–retest reliability. A significant correlation was found between FFI-Ar and SF-36 and numeric rating scale (NRS) confirming its construct validity. Conclusion: The FFI-Arabic version showed good validity and reliability in patients with foot and ankle problems. This tool can be used in usual practice and research for analysing foot and ankle disorders in Arabic-speaking people.

Limited research has been carried out on the effects of pain, comorbidity, and impaired function in musculoskeletal patients in Jizan, Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted on 115 patients (aged ≥ 55 years) with physician-diagnosed musculoskeletal conditions in Jizan to investigate the association between pain severity, comorbidities, and dependence on activities of daily living (ADLs). Self-reported questionnaires were used to collect data on pain, comorbidities, and physical function measured by ADLs. In ADLs, participants were categorized as dependent (n = 36) or independent (n = 79). Logistic regression analysis was employed to determine the predictors of dependence. The results showed that higher pain severity (adjusted odds ratio (OR): 1.69, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.21–2.38, p = 0.002) and a greater number of comorbidities (adjusted OR: 1.52, 95% CI: 1.06–2.17, p = 0.021) were independently associated with dependence in ADLs. These associations remained significant even after controlling for covariates. This study concluded that patients with musculoskeletal conditions in Jizan who experience high levels of pain and comorbidities are at risk of dependence on basic daily activities. Therefore, addressing pain and comorbidities is crucial for maintaining independence and improving quality of life. Personalized rehabilitation programs are needed to manage these conditions in this region.