Association Between Walking Intensity and Self-Reported Chronic Diseases among Adults in Abha: A Cross-Sectional Analysis

Background: Chronic diseases are escalating globally, largely due to sedentary lifestyles accentuated in urban settings. This study aims to explore the relationship between walking intensity and self-reported chronic diseases, with a focus on gender differences, aiming to understand how physical activity impacts health outcomes among adults in Abha. Materials and Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study, conducted from October to December 2024 in Abha, aimed to investigate the association between self-reported walking intensity, measured by weekly step counts, and chronic diseases among adults aged 18 and over. Participants were selected based on residency in Abha, with exclusions for non-consent or incomplete data. Using multivariate logistic regression, the study analysed the relationship between walking intensity and self-reported chronic diseases, adjusting for confounders and reporting adjusted odds ratios, 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs), and p-values. A p-value below 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: In this study of 462 participants, 95 (20.6%) reported chronic diseases, while 367 (79.4%) did not. Walking 10,000 steps per week or more was linked to a lower likelihood of chronic diseases in the overall population, with a crude Odds Ratio (OR) of 0.58 (95% CI: 0.37-0.92, p=0.018) and an adjusted OR of 0.62 (95% CI: 0.37-0.99, p=0.049), after adjustments. Gender-stratified analysis showed no significant change in chronic disease odds for males walking over 10,000 steps, with an adjusted OR of 1.22 (95% CI: 0.55-2.68, p=0.624), while for females, the association was significant, with both crude and adjusted ORs at 0.25 (95% CI: 0.11-0.56, p=0.001; and 95% CI: 0.11-0.60, p=0.002), indicating a pronounced protective effect of higher walking intensity against chronic diseases. Conclusion: Our study highlights the link between walking intensity and chronic diseases in Abha, particularly noting walking's preventive health benefits for women and suggesting its integration into public health interventions and urban planning.