Abstract
Background: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are a group of disorders considered to be the leading cause of death worldwide. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of CVD risk factors in residential care centers (RCCs) among adults and the elderly in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Methodology. A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed in RCCs in 2018 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. A total of 265 participants were interviewed, and males and females who were at least 18 years old were included in the study. Information about diabetes mellitus (DM), hypertension (HTN), dyslipidemia, physical inactivity, smoking and stress was collected. Results: We analyzed data from 259 participants, and DM, HTN and dyslipidemia were highly prevalent in the sample (27%, 30.1% and 23.6%, respectively). A total of 32.8% of the participants were illiterate, and 37.8% reported experiencing stress. Additionally, there was a significant relationship between CVD risk factors (HTN, DM, dyslipidemia, smoking, income, obesity and physical inactivity) and age group. Conclusion: Low education levels and low income contributed to the finding that the risk factors for CVDs in RCCs were higher than those in the normal population in Saudi Arabia. Health authorities should develop effective public health policies for RCCs.