HEALTH STATUS OF LEISURE WALKERS IN KUWAIT

Aim: This study is designed to assess health status among pedestrians using different walking paths in several areas around Kuwait during March to June 2005. This cross-sectional research evaluates the prevalence of respiratory complaints and assesses the possible confounding effects that may be associated with distribution of disease. Methods: The adapted method is a self-report questionnaire to extract information about health status using a convenience sampling technique. The selected sample was pedestrians from both genders and all age groups using walking-paths. The data was analyzed by calculating proportions, and odd ratios were estimated using a logistic regression model. Results: The outcome revealed that nearly a quarter of the sample had some kind of respiratory diseases. Females were twice more likely to have food allergy than males. Genetic factors and gender are the main risk determinants that are associated with respiratory diseases, and specifically tobacco smoking is an extra confounder that is related to cases with asthma and bronchitis. Conclusion: This study indicate that a quarter of the sample who use walking paths in Kuwait have some kind of respiratory disease or allergy.