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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Public Health
Sec. Environmental Health and Exposome
Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1520851

Impact of Neighborhood Safety on Adolescent Physical Activity in Saudi Arabia: Gender and Socio-Economic Perspectives

Provisionally accepted
Abdullah Nidal Addas Abdullah Nidal Addas 1,2*
  • 1 King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
  • 2 Prince Sattam Bin Abdulaziz University, Al-Kharj, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background/Objectives: Adolescent physical activity is a critical determinant of longterm physical and mental health. However, the factors influencing activity levels remain underexplored in rapidly urbanizing regions such as Saudi Arabia, where changing built environments pose unique challenges; Methods: This study examined the relationship between neighborhood safety perceptions and physical activity levels among 1500 adolescents aged 14-17 years in the cities of Riyadh, Jeddah, and Dammam, representing a mix of urban and suburban settings. This study used a cross-sectional design with data collected through a validated self-reported questionnaires and interviews; the data were analyzed through multivariate regression; Results: The results indicate that adolescents who perceived higher traffic-related safety concerns engaged in 30% less physical activity compared to those in safer neighborhoods (p < 0.01). Female adolescents were 20% more likely than male adolescents to report safety concerns (p < 0.05), while those residing in villas engaged in 15% more physical activity than their peers living in flats (p < 0.05); Conclusions: These findings underscore the significant role of neighborhood safety in shaping adolescent health behaviors, particularly regarding traffic management and accessibility. These results contribute to the growing evidence regarding the influence of built environments on youth health and well-being in rapidly urbanizing regions. The study offers actionable policy recommendations for urban planners and public health officials to create safer, more inclusive environments that encourage physical activity, especially among female adolescents. Future research should adopt longitudinal designs and incorporate objective measures, such as wearable activity trackers, to assess the long-term impact of neighborhood safety interventions on adolescent health outcomes.

    Keywords: Adolescent physical activity, neighborhood safety, residential environment, Community Engagement, Saudi Arabia

    Received: 31 Oct 2024; Accepted: 07 Jan 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Addas. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Abdullah Nidal Addas, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

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