Exercise Habits During Ramadan Among Healthcare Professionals: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study From Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Background Fasting during Ramadan may affect several habits, including physical activity levels. Therefore, the present study was designed to assess changes in exercise habits among healthcare providers (HCPs) during Ramadan in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This study aimed to evaluate the factors associated with changes in exercise habits during Ramadan. Methodology This cross-sectional, observational study included HCPs working in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Data were collected using an electronic self-administered questionnaire between March and April 2020. McNemar’s test was used to assess the difference between exercise habits during Ramadan and the rest of the year. Pearson’s chi-square test was used to explore the factors affecting the rate and intensity of exercise during Ramadan. P-values less than 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Results A total of 89 HCPs were enrolled in the study. Of these, 64% (n = 57) were female, and 67.4% (n = 60) worked in governmental hospitals. Of these, 58.4% (n = 52) had moderate physical activity, and 41.6% (n = 37) had low exercise intensity during Ramadan. The percentage of low-intensity exercises increased to 52.8% (n = 47). Almost one-third of the HCPs who usually performed moderate or severe-intensity exercise decreased their intensity significantly to a low level. In addition, 10.8% (n = 4) of respondents upgraded their exercise intensity from low to moderate or severe levels during Ramadan. Meanwhile, Ramadan had no significant impact on the usual exercise rate. Conclusions The present study demonstrated the reduction in the intensity of exercise among HCPs during Ramadan without changing the usual exercise rate.