Physical activity, screen time, dietary habits, and health outcomes among children and adolescents in the Middle East and North Africa region: a narrative review
Alnaqbi SE, Sohail R, Radwan HM, Mohamad MN, Zeb F, Hasan H, Hashim M, Osaili T, AlBlooshi S, Al Dhaheri AS, Stojanovska L, Cheikh Ismail L
Frontiers in public health · 7 citas
Cómo se estudió
- Diseño
- Revisión sistemática (indexado por PubMed)
- Estudiado en
- Personas
- Resultado principal
- Marcadores de salud y funcionamiento
Quién lo pagó
- Financiación
- Financiación independiente
Según la declaración de financiación del texto completo.
Publicación
- Publicado
- 2025-09-24 · Front Public Health · vol. 13 · pág. 1628904
- Editorial
- Frontiers Media
- Citado
- 9 citas · más que el 84% de estudios similares · 1.7× el promedio de su campo
- Referencias
- 41 trabajos
- Acceso
- Acceso abierto (revista) · CC-BY
- Áreas de investigación
- Physical Activity and Health · Obesity, Physical Activity, Diet · Sports and Physical Education Studies
- Palabras clave
- physical activity, screen time, children and adolescents, dietary habits, obesity, overweight, body satisfaction, quality of life, sedentary lifestyle, social media, gaming, sex differences, socioeconomic factors, cultural norms, school-based intervention, parental influence, active lifestyle promotion, Middle East and North Africa
- MeSH
- humans, exercise, feeding behavior, adolescent, child, africa, northern, middle east, female, male, screen time, sedentary behavior
12 autores
- Shaikha Ali Al-Naqbi🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Rahab Sohail🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Hadia M. Radwan🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Maysm N. Mohamad🇦🇪United Arab Emirates University
- Falak Zeb🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Hayder A. Hasan🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Mona S. Hashim🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Tareq Mohammed Ibrahim Osaili🇦🇪University of Sharjah
- Sharifa AlBlooshi🇦🇪Zayed University
- Ayesha Salem Al Dhaheri🇦🇪United Arab Emirates University
- Lily Stojanovska🇦🇺Victoria University
- Leila Cheikh Ismail🇦🇪🇬🇧 · autor de correspondenciaUniversity of Sharjah; University of Oxford
Resumen
El texto original del estudio, en el idioma en que se publicó.
Background
Physical activity (PA) and screen time (ST) are crucial determinants of health among children and adolescents. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has witnessed rapid urbanization, lifestyle transitions, and increased digitalization; all impact PA and ST behaviors. To our knowledge, we aimed to explore the prevalence of PA and ST among children and adolescents in the MENA region, as well as their correlations with health outcomes and dietary practices.
Methods
A systematic search was conducted in major databases (Google Scholar, MEDLINE, EMBASE, SPORTdiscus, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Scopus), 18 eligible studies from 7 countries were included. This narrative review explores the current literature on PA and ST patterns among children and adolescents in MENA, highlighting key trends, determinants, and health outcomes (dietary habits, obesity and overweight, body satisfaction, and quality of life).
Results
Studies indicate that a significant proportion of children and adolescents in the region fail to meet the recommended PA guidelines, with sedentary lifestyles becoming increasingly prevalent. High ST exposure, driven by social media, gaming, and academic screen use, has been linked to unhealthy dietary habits, obesity, and metabolic disorders. This review highlights that boys are generally more physically active than girls. Socioeconomic factors, cultural norms, environmental barriers, and educational demands play crucial roles in shaping PA and ST behaviors.
Conclusions
School-based interventions, parental influence, and policy measures promoting active lifestyles and accountable screen use are essential to mitigating the negative health effects. However, research gaps persist, particularly in longitudinal studies and intervention effectiveness. Addressing these challenges requires a multidisciplinary approach involving policymakers, educators, health professionals, and communities to foster healthier lifestyles among children and adolescents in the MENA region.
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