Exploration of changes in health-related behaviours among Saudi Arabian undergraduates in the UK.

This project is an exploratory survey of the ways in which living in the UK has affected the health-related behaviours of Saudi Arabian undergraduate students. The study identifies changes in exercise behaviours, dietary and smoking habits and experiences of stress after their move to the UK. In addition, it identifies what the students perceive to be the drivers of these changes. To achieve this, an online questionnaire was developed collecting quantitative data. This was distributed via Facebook groups specifically for Saudi students in the UK. The results demonstrate that a majority of Saudi Arabian undergraduates felt that their behaviours had become healthier since their move to the UK, mainly as a result of a more active lifestyle, derived from reduced reliance on cars, increased daily walking, and a heightened focus on health promoted by their independence, the availability of healthy foods and exposure to a more health-promoting culture. Although these results are based on a relatively small sample, they are surprising since they contradict previous studies on international students, which have generally found negative lifestyle changes during their studies, including increased stress, poorer dietary habits and a decline in physical activity. Although the exploratory nature of the study means that concrete recommendations cannot be made, it nonetheless offers an impetus for further research into how Saudi Arabian students may be encouraged to adopt healthier lifestyles while studying in the UK.

How can Environmental Health Practitioners contribute to ensure population safety and health during the COVID-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the relevance of public health professionals all over the world, in particular Environmental Health Practitioners (EHPs), who played a major role in the containment of the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2. However, as in past disasters, their involvement was oriented towards urgent tasks, and did not fully utilize EHPs' competences and skills. Additionally, due to limited resources, during emergencies EHPs may temporarily transition away from their day-to-day role, potentially increasing other public health and safety risk factors without appropriate surveillance or intervention. To overcome this and prepare for possible future pandemics, it is important to identify and discuss the key roles of EHPs in different countries, providing a common framework for practices that can contribute to population safety and health. To this end, an international workgroup was established to discuss current environmental health practices and challenges across different countries during the pandemic. Findings from discussions concluded that, despite the observed differences across the countries, EHPs are one of the main public health emergency preparedness and response actors. However, since resources are still lagging significantly behind need, we argue that the role of these professionals during pandemics should be focused on practices that have higher impact to support population health and safety.