Health and lifestyle survey: community's attitudes to health and barriers toward lifestyle change.

The study was carried out in Alexandria City. A household cluster sample survey was conducted. The total sample was 300 subjects. The objectives of this work were to assess the community's attitude of specific health issues, examine the relationship between subjects' determined level of risk and their beliefs about and desire to modify smoking, current diet and level of exercise as well as to portray the possible barriers to adopting healthier lifestyle. The survey results revealed that generally the community reflects positive attitude to health that was significantly associated with younger age, higher educational and occupational levels and absence of risk factors. The significant predictors of subjects' perception of the health risk of current diet were smoking, obesity, high dietary fat intake and physical inactivity. All the studied risk factors were found to be significant predictors of the subjects' attempt to change their current diet. In investigating the main barriers to diet change, subjects' lack of knowledge on how to make their diet healthy topped the list, while lack of will power topped the list of barriers against quitting smoking. Pressure of time was stated first as a barrier against changing subjects' exercise level. Further researches of this type are required to yield detailed information for the whole nation to guide for health and lifestyle intervention strategies.