Exercise and Physical Activity in Patients with Sickle Cell Disease in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Sickle cell disease (SCD) is a hereditary hemoglobinopathy characterized by chronic anemia, recurrent pain episodes, and multi-organ complications, which collectively impact patients’ quality of life and functional capacity. Exercise and physical activity are recognized as essential components of general health and well-being; however, their role in individuals with SCD remains underexplored due to concerns regarding safety, tolerance, and the potential to precipitate vaso-occlusive crises. This study aimed to assess the patterns and frequency of exercise and physical activity among patients with sickle cell disease using a validated questionnaire. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study on patients diagnosed with sickle cell disease at King Abdulaziz University Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. After obtaining ethical approval, we contacted the patients by phone or met them in person and administered the Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ). Data on age, gender, comorbid conditions, disease-related variables, and weekly physical activity were collected. Total physical activity was expressed in metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-minutes per week, and participants achieving ≥600 MET-minutes per week were classified as meeting the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation. Results: Of the 97 patients, males represented 52.6% of the participants, with a median age of 33 years. Overall, 70.1% of the patients were on hydroxyurea, and 14.4% had undergone splenectomy. More than half of the patients (56.7%) reported difficulties with exercise. According to the findings, 39% of the patients were getting enough physical activity each week, as recommended by the WHO. Male patients were significantly more likely to meet the WHO physical activity recommendation (p = 0.003), whereas no statistically significant associations were observed for age, nationality, body mass index, hemoglobin level, hydroxyurea use, splenectomy, hospital admissions, transfusion history, comorbidities, or exercise-related symptoms (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Our data suggest that a significant proportion of patients with SCD did not achieve the WHO-recommended physical activity level, with adherence observed in only about forty percent of participants, and that adherence was more common in male patients (adjusted odds ratio 3.30, 95% CI 1.36–8.52, after multivariable adjustment for age, body mass index, hemoglobin, and transfusion status). This association was concentrated in occupational rather than recreational activity and was not explained by the clinical variables measured. Because no comparison group was studied, the extent to which this shortfall is attributable to SCD itself, rather than to the population-level inactivity already documented in Saudi Arabia, cannot be determined from these data. These findings identify a potential area for targeted intervention, particularly among women, and underscore the need for further research into disease-specific and sociocultural barriers before tailored programs can be developed. Further larger, controlled, multi-center studies are necessary to clarify the specific contribution of SCD to inactivity and to guide individualized physical activity promotion in this population.