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

Table 5

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

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	16.2	27.2	56.6	7.7	42.5	49.8	14.3	42.7	43.0	16.3	31.4	52.2	19.0	35.0	46.0	13.5	41.3	45.2	12.6	47.6	39.8
(2) Not enjoying physical activity, exercise, or sport	07.9	17.7	74.3	10.1	25.1	64.8	12.6	27.8	59.5	08.9	25.4	65.7	10.0	23.0	67.0	13.3	23.8	63.0	11.5	32.9	55.6
(3) Do not have the skills to do physical activity, exercise, or sport	19.6	32.1	48.3	18.8	37.7	43.5	20.2	36.8	43.0	23.7	37.4	38.8	24.0	27.0	49.0	28.3	39.4	32.4	18.2	50.3	29.7
(B) Social support barriers to physical activity
(1) No parents’ support to be physically active	22.6	16.2	61.1	17.2	27.4	55.4	17.7	29.2	53.1	26.6	25.1	48.3	26.0	25.0	49.0	24.4	26.5	49.1	22.4	33.6	44.1
(2) No friends’ support to be physically active	29.1	23.8	47.2	25.7	33.7	40.6	21.9	37.4	40.7	40.0	22.9	62.9	23.0	29.0	48.0	33.3	29.0	37.6	29.0	36.0	35.0
(3) No teachers’ support to be physically active	30.2	22.6	47.2	34.9	30.8	34.3	25.8	36.2	38.0	36.3	17.4	46.3	28.0	16.0	56.0	34.9	27.7	37.4	21.0	37.8	41.3
(C) Environmental barriers to physical activity
(1) Do not have enough information about how to increase physical activity	32.1	33.6	34.3	32.8	39.7	27.5	26.7	41.0	32.3	34.9	37.1	28.0	31.0	36.0	33.0	36.8	28.8	24.4	26.9	52.1	21.0
(2) Not having access to places to do physical activity, exercise, and sport	47.9	16.6	35.5	26.2	30.5	43.3	29.8	33.4	36.8	34.6	19.4	54.0	38.0	23.0	39.0	32.7	26.3	40.9	26.2	35.7	38.1
(3) Not being able to find physical activity facilities that are inexpensive	36.6	23.0	40.4	18.2	34.3	47.5	21.3	31.7	46.9	24.6	23.1	52.3	44.0	23.0	33.0	25.5	29.2	45.2	21.7	30.8	42.6
(4) Not having the time to be physically active	67.9	21.5	10.6	38.5	37.9	23.6	52.5	30.9	16.6	47.7	31.7	20.6	64.0	21.0	15.0	48.5	30.6	20.9	50.3	30.4	19.2
(5) Feeling shy when practising exercise outdoor	15.1	23.4	61.5	11.9	17.0	71.1	18.5	25.8	52.3	21.7	23.4	54.9	27.0	23.0	49.0	17.2	23.6	59.3	17.8	33.9	48.3
(6) The climate is not suitable for practising exercise	14.7	41.1	44.2	11.3	37.9	50.8	43.3	36.0	20.7	10.9	42.6	46.5	24.0	43.0	33.0	14.4	40.7	45.0	50.7	30.1	19.2
(7) Not being able to practise physical activity due to cultural factors	29.1	11.3	59.6	19.9	26.6	53.5	28.4	23.0	48.6	52.0	21.1	26.9	65.0	16.0	19.0	35.9	19.1	45.0	37.4	19.6	43.0
(8) Do not have enough money to enrol on physical activity club	15.5	17.4	67.2	8.1	18.6	73.3	10.4	21.3	68.3	13.1	16.0	70.9	29.0	23.0	48.0	15.6	23.4	61.0	08.7	22.0	69.3

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