# Self-efficacy in lifestyle management among young Arab adults: a cross-cultural study in the EMRO region

## TL;DR

This study found that young Arab adults in Northern Africa have lower confidence in managing healthy lifestyles compared to those in other Arab regions, with factors like age, sex, and knowledge playing a role.

## Contribution

The study provides new insights into regional differences in self-efficacy for healthy lifestyle management among young Arab adults, highlighting cultural and sociodemographic influences.

## Key findings

- Northern African participants had significantly lower self-efficacy and knowledge scores compared to those in the Arabian Peninsula and Eastern Mediterranean.
- Age, sex, and knowledge were significant predictors of self-efficacy in different Arab regions.
- The study suggests that cultural factors influence lifestyle self-efficacy and knowledge among young Arab adults.

## Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the self-efficacy of lifestyle practices among young adults, including late adolescents aged 18–19 years, across the Arab region.

A multinational cross-sectional online survey was conducted using convenience sampling between September 2022 and September 2023 (n = 2,708) across multiple Arab regions (the Arabian Peninsula, Africa, and the Eastern Mediterranean, but outside African countries). Individuals of both sexes, aged 18–25 years, who could read and understand Arabic and who resided in one of the Arab regions, were included. Sociodemographic data were also collected. A previously validated Arabic questionnaire was used to assess self-efficacy and knowledge of healthy lifestyles.

Individuals in the Northern Africa region (9.7 ± 3.5) had significantly lower total self-efficacy scores than those in the Arabian Peninsula (11.5 ± 2.8) and Eastern Mediterranean region (11.7 ± 2.7; p < 0.001, F = 132.3). The knowledge score was significantly lower in Northern Africa (5.4 ± 2.3), whereas the Arabian Peninsula had the highest knowledge score (7.2 ± 1.9; p < 0.001, F = 173.2). Knowledge was associated with self-efficacy in the Arabian Peninsula (R2 = 0.013, p = 0.016). Age and sex were related to self-efficacy in the Eastern Mediterranean region (R2 = 0.01, p = 0.007). In North Africa, age, sex, and knowledge were related to self-efficacy (R2 = 0.25, p < 0.001). These findings indicate that regional differences are related to cultural factors such as age, sex, and knowledge.

Self-efficacy was lower in Northern African countries than in the Arabian Peninsula or Eastern Mediterranean countries. Age, sex, and nutritional knowledge were associated with self-efficacy. These findings may guide culturally sensitive public health interventions in Arab countries. Future research should explore these relationships using longitudinal designs to better understand the causal pathways between culture, knowledge, sociodemographic factors, and self-efficacy.