Perceived Barriers to Healthy Eating and Physical Activity among Adolescents in Seven Arab Countries: A Cross-Cultural Study

Table 4

Perceived barriers to physical activity among adolescents of seven Arab countries (male) (%).

Barriers	Algeria			Jordan			Kuwait			Libya			Palestine			Syria			UAE
	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.	Imp.	Som.	Not.
(A) Personal barriers to physical activity
(1) Do not have motivation to do physical activity, exercise, or sport	7.7	12.3	80.0	7.1	14.6	78.3	20.3	34.4	45.5	04.3	14.3	85.0	17.6	19.6	62.7	6.0	18.7	75.3	5.6	22.9	71.4
(2) Not enjoying physical activity, exercise, or sport	5.1	07.7	87.2	3.9	12.0	84.1	15.7	35.0	49.3	05.0	08.9	86.1	27.5	17.6	54.9	7.4	09.1	83.3	4.1	17.3	78.6
(3) Do not have the skills to do physical activity, exercise, or sport	6.2	13.8	80.0	8.4	24.5	67.1	22.4	35.7	41.9	10.7	17.9	71.4	29.4	29.4	41.2	9.3	25.4	65.4	10.9	29.7	59.4
(B) Social support barriers to physical activity
(1) No parents’ support to be physically active	8.7	21.0	70.3	15.2	23.6	61.2	23.8	35.7	40.5	12.9	27.5	59.6	29.4	17.6	53.0	15.3	30.8	53.9	15.8	24.8	59.4
(2) No friends’ support to be physically active	9.2	21.0	69.7	14.6	26.8	58.6	19.2	34.3	46.5	11.8	26.4	61.8	23.5	27.5	49.0	15.7	25.2	59.2	10.9	24.8	64.3
(3) No teachers’ support to be physically active	30.3	23.6	46.2	32.6	27.0	40.4	29.0	34.6	36.4	39.3	23.2	37.5	35.3	15.7	49.0	30.2	31.8	38.0	15.8	26.7	57.5
(C) Environmental barriers to physical activity
(1) Do not have enough information about how to increase physical activity	16.9	30.3	52.8	20.0	33.0	47.0	32.2	38.5	29.8	15.0	37.5	47.5	29.4	19.6	51.0	23.7	38.2	38.0	18.2	41.0	40.6
(2) Not having access to places to do physical activity, exercise, and sport	32.8	17.9	49.2	20.4	29.0	50.6	26.6	34.6	38.8	23.6	22.1	54.3	39.2	19.6	58.8	22.7	29.4	47.9	13.5	25.9	60.5
(3) Not being able to find physical activity facilities that are inexpensive	24.6	27.7	47.7	19.5	30.9	49.6	26.9	35.3	37.8	23.6	28.9	47.5	33.3	27.5	39.2	23.9	31.8	44.3	14.3	29.7	56.0
(4) Not having the time to be physically active	45.1	32.3	22.6	21.7	37.6	40.8	37.1	40.6	22.3	36.8	36.1	27.1	49.0	27.5	23.5	29.4	45.3	25.4	39.0	36.1	24.8
(5) Feeling shy when practising exercise outdoors	05.6	04.6	89.7	5.5	12.7	81.8	19.2	35.0	45.8	06.4	12.5	81.1	13.7	25.5	60.8	07.6	14.7	77.7	06.8	21.1	72.1
(6) The climate is not suitable for practising exercise	05.1	32.3	62.6	6.7	41.9	51.5	41.6	40.2	18.2	02.9	46.1	51.0	21.6	39.2	39.2	08.0	38.8	53.1	18.4	53.4	28.2
(7) Not being able to practise physical activity due to cultural factors	04.6	02.6	92.8	8.2	12.0	79.8	16.0	21.3	65.7	05.4	07.5	87.1	21.6	15.7	62.7	10.7	16.1	73.2	07.1	09.8	83.1
(8) Do not have enough money to enrol on physical activity club	10.8	17.4	71.8	8.8	18.5	72.7	23.4	29.4	47.2	10.7	11.8	77.5	33.3	13.7	51.0	14.9	24.7	60.4	11.3	14.3	74.4

Imp.: important barrier (%), Som.: somewhat important (%), and Not.: not a barrier (%).