Prevalence of overweight and obesity in United Arab Emirates Expatriates: the UAE National Diabetes and Lifestyle Study

Background. Noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) are considered as a global health problem and considered as a public health priority with the more considerable increasing trend of obesity and cardiometabolic disorders rates in the Middle Eastern countries. This systematic review aims at assessing the prevalence, incidence rates, and trends, as well as the cost of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Methods. A highly sensitive strategy was used to retrieve original observational studies, addressing the epidemiology and cost of obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders in the UAE, irrespective of nationality (nationals and expatriates). The search was conducted on April 4, 2017, within numerous electronic databases and the grey literature. Standardized and validated methods were used for data extraction and analysis as well as quality assessment. Results. 6789 records were retrieved, of which 36 were deemed eligible. High prevalence rates were reported for obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome in all studies. However, the definitions and methods employed by the studies were highly variable. The risk of bias in the epidemiological studies ranged between low and medium. Only one study reported the cost of illness for diabetes. In this study, the estimated cost per patient was $2,015 (adjusted to the year 2015), and it became twofold and sixfold higher in patients with microvascular and macrovascular complications, respectively. Conclusions. Obesity and related cardiometabolic disorders are highly prevalent in the UAE, but quoting a precise prevalence for them is difficult given the methodological heterogeneity of the epidemiological studies addressing them. Nonetheless, we detected a 2-3-fold increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity in the UAE between 1989 and 2017. It is hopeful that this systematic review will provide an insight into direct future studies, especially longitudinal studies exploring obesity and cardiometabolic risks and their costs.

Download Full-text

Association of Neck Circumference with Obesity in Female College Students

Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences ◽

10.3889/oamjms.2015.118 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 3 (4) ◽

pp. 578-581 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Dimitrios Papandreou ◽

Zujaja Tul Noor ◽

Maitha Rashed ◽

Hadeel Al Jaberi

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Pearson Correlation ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Female Students ◽

Neck Circumference ◽

Female College Students ◽

Total Body Fat ◽

College Population ◽

Total Body

BACKGROUND: Obesity levels have been dramatically increased in the United Arab Emirates over the last few years. High levels of body Mass Index, waist circumference, and percent of total body fat as a measure of obesity have found to be related to cardiovascular risk factors and other diseases. Neck circumference is a new tool that has been linked to obesity. However, no studies in UAE have been conducted yet.AIM: The purpose of this study was to measure the obesity levels in a college population and to correlate them with NC and other anthropometrical indexes.METHODS AND SUBJECTS: Two hundred forty three (243) female students aged 18-25 were conveniently selected to participate in the study. Anthropometrical indexes were obtained from all subjects e after fasting.RESULTS: The prevalence of overweight and obesity together was found to be 28.4 % (n = 69). Pearson correlation showed that WC, NC and BF (%) were significantly positively related to obesity, (r = 0.790; r = 0.758; r = 0.767, p < 0.001), respectively. In multiple regression analysis, only NC (Beta: 1.627, 95 %CI: 0.370, 2.846, p < 0.001) and WC (Beta: 0.464, 95 %CI: 0.135, 0.664, p < 0.001) were found to be independently associated with obesity.CONCLUSION: NC was found to be independently associated with obesity levels in Emirati college students.

Download Full-text

Implication of genetic variants in overweight and obesity susceptibility among the young Arab population of the United Arab Emirates

Gene ◽

10.1016/j.gene.2020.144509 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 739 ◽

pp. 144509 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Sarah El Hajj Chehadeh ◽

Wael Osman ◽

Suna Nazar ◽

Laila Jerman ◽

Ameera Alghafri ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Genetic Variants ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Arab Population ◽

Obesity Susceptibility

Download Full-text

Significance and agreement between obesity anthropometric measurements and indices in adults: a population-based study from the United Arab Emirates

BMC Public Health ◽

10.1186/s12889-021-11650-7 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 21 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Ibrahim Mahmoud ◽

Nabil Sulaiman

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Weight Status ◽

Population Based ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Anthropometric Measurements ◽

Poor Agreement ◽

Population Based Study ◽

Body Weight Status ◽

Cardiometabolic Risks ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity

Abstract Background The rates of overweight and obese adults in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have increased dramatically in recent decades. Several anthropometric measurements are used to assess body weight status. Some anthropometric measurements might not be convenient to use in certain communities and settings. The objective of this study was to assess the agreement of four anthropometric measurements and indices of weight status and to investigate their associations with cardiometabolic risks. Methods The study design was a cross-section population-based study. Adults living in the Northern Emirates were surveyed. Fasting blood samples, blood pressure readings and anthropometric measurements were also collected. Results A total of 3531 subjects were included in this study. The prevalence of obesity/overweight was 66.4% based on body mass index (BMI), 61.7% based on waist circumference (WC), 64.6% based on waist–hip ratio (WHR) and 71% based on neck circumference (NC). There were moderate agreements between BMI and WC and between WC and WHR, with kappa (k) ranging from 0.41 to 0.60. NC showed poor agreement with BMI, WC and WHR, with k ranging from 0 to 0.2. Overweight and obesity based on BMI, WC and WHR were significantly associated with cardiometabolic risks. Conclusion Overall, there was a moderate to a poor agreement between BMI, WC, WHR and NC. Particularly, NC showed poor agreement with BMI, WC and WHR. BMI and WC showed better performance for identifying cardiometabolic risks than WHR and NC.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in the United Arab Emirates

Obesity Reviews ◽

10.1111/j.1467-789x.2006.00290.x ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

pp. 15-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 65

Author(s):

M. Malik ◽

A. Bakir

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Overweight And Obesity

Download Full-text

Prevalence of overweight and obesity among adult females in the United Arab Emirates

International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition ◽

10.1080/09637480802331179 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 60 (sup3) ◽

pp. 26-33 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Layla I. Sheikh-Ismail ◽

C. Jeya K. Henry ◽

Helen J. Lightowler ◽

Ayesha S. Aldhaheri ◽

Emad Masuadi ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Adult Females

Download Full-text

Abstract P384: Overweight, Obesity and its Correlates among Adolescents: a Comparison of Eleven Countries in the Eastern Mediterranean Region

Circulation ◽

10.1161/circ.125.suppl_10.ap384 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽

Author(s):

Christine S Autenrieth ◽

Regina Guthold ◽

Melanie J Cowan ◽

Laura Kann ◽

Faten Ben Abdelaziz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Risk Factors ◽

Sedentary Behavior ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Mediterranean Region ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Eastern Mediterranean Region ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Activity Levels ◽

Physical Activity Levels

Background: Overweight and obesity, physical inactivity, and sedentary behavior are important risk factors for chronic diseases; however, for the youth in countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR), comparable prevalence data are lacking. Methods: We used data from nationally representative samples of 34,410 13-15 year old schoolchildren who participated in the Global School-based Student Health Survey (Djibouti, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, Morocco, Oman, Pakistan, Tunisia, United Arab Emirates, and Yemen). Data on height, weight, physical activity levels, and sedentary behavior were collected from 2005-2009 in these eleven EMR countries and sex- and country-specific prevalence rates were calculated. Results: The prevalence of overweight and obese youth ranged from 6.5% in Pakistan (boys: 5.1%, girls: 8.7%) to 37.6% in the United Arab Emirates (boys: 39.2%, girls: 36.1%), whereas underweight was highest in Yemen (20.8%; boys: 25.4%, girls: 13.0%) and lowest in Egypt (4.0%; boys: 4.7%, girls: 3.2%). Six of the eleven countries had an overweight and obese rate higher than 20%. The combined risk factors of overweight, insufficient amount of physical activity (< 5 days of at least 60 minutes per week), and sedentary behavior (≥ 3 hours of sitting activities per day) ranged from 0.5% in Pakistan to 12.3% in the United Arab Emirates. Conclusion: These data suggest that prevalence of overweight schoolchildren is high in EMR countries. In addition, physical activity levels were below recommendation guidelines in most of the surveyed countries. Efforts to prevent these unfortunate trends should be taken on regional and national levels.

Download Full-text

Assessment of Weight Management Practices among Adults in the United Arab Emirates

Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1155/2017/1050749 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 2017 ◽

pp. 1-9 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Amita Attlee ◽

Nour Atmani ◽

Viktor Stromtsov ◽

Fatima Ali ◽

Rim Tikarly ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Weight Management ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Management Practices ◽

Medical Condition ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Adult Males ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sociodemographic Variables ◽

Number Of Patients

With a rise in global incidence of overweight and obesity, the number of patients seeking weight management (WM) advice is likely to increase. Our aim was to explore the prevalence of WM practices and investigate association of WM goals with sociodemographic variables and practices among United Arab Emirates (UAE) adults. An exploratory, cross-sectional research was conducted on 1275 adult males and females, residing in UAE. A structured questionnaire was administered. WM goals to lose/maintain/gain weight were reported in 88.3% participants. WM goals were significantly associated with age, sex, marital status, education, current body weight perception, and medical condition. Out of 21 selected WM practices, popular strategies included increasing physical activity (52.9%), eating less fat (51.1%), consuming fewer calories (43.3%), joining gym (27.5%), skipping meals (26.1%), and consuming natural herbs and teas (20.7%). Visiting dietitian (12.3%) ranked ninth in the order of preference. Males focused on physical activity, gyms, and wellness centers and females on calories counting, dietitian visits, meals replacement, skipping meals, and natural herbs/teas. Married adults reported eating less fat (54.3% versus 47.3%, p=0.020); singles opted calories counting, gyms, and meals replacement. Frequent referral sources were friends (37.8%) and Internet (32.1%). Most UAE adults had WM goals that were associated with sociodemographic variables and WM practices. Awareness about the ill-effects of unhealthy WM practices and importance of dietitian’s consultation are imperative.

Download Full-text

Association of overweight, obesity and insufficient sleep duration and related lifestyle factors among school children and adolescents

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health ◽

10.1515/ijamh-2021-0041 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 0 (0) ◽

Author(s):

Aisha Abdalla Almulla ◽

Taoufik Zoubeidi

Keyword(s):

Sleep Duration ◽

United Arab Emirates ◽

Lifestyle Factors ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Health Concern ◽

Smart Devices ◽

Childhood And Adolescence ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Insufficient Sleep ◽

Validated Questionnaire

Abstract Objectives To assess the prevalence of overweight, obesity and Insufficient Sleep Duration (ISD) and to investigate their relationship with related lifestyle factors among school-aged students. Obesity in childhood and adolescence is a serious health concern as it may have long term risk for overweight and obesity in adulthood. Methods This is a cross-sectional study of 1,611 students aged between 10 and 18 years from Al Ain city, United Arab Emirates. Data were collected using a multistage stratified random sampling method using a validated questionnaire and the level of significance was set at p<0.05. Results The prevalence of overweight and obesity was 42.4%. ISD was 36.6% among students. Higher BMI was significantly related to being a male and inactive (95% CI=0.03–0.23), daily coffee consumption (95% CI=0.03–0.1), older age (95% CI=0.01–0.02), less average sleep duration (95% CI=−0.02 to −0.003) and spending more time on TV/videogames (95% CI=0.01–0.07). The likelihood of ISD was significantly lower among students who consumed breakfast daily (OR=0.58, 95% CI=0.41–0.83), spent less time on smart devices (OR=0.63, 95% CI=0.47–0.84), and never consumed energy drinks or soft drinks (OR=2.64, 95% CI=1.13–6.16, OR=2.02, 95% CI=1.24–3.29, respectively). Conclusions The prevalence of overweight and obesity among school-aged students is high. ISD and related lifestyle factors are significantly associated with overweight and obesity. Study findings emphasize the need to address and implement successful strategies for a healthy lifestyle starting from early childhood to combat the increasing rates of overweight and obesity in adulthood.

Download Full-text

Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity among Adolescents in Seven Arab Countries: A Cross-Cultural Study

Journal of Obesity ◽

10.1155/2012/981390 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 2012 ◽

pp. 1-5 ◽

Cited By ~ 27

Author(s):

Abdulrahman O. Musaiger ◽

Mariam Al-Mannai ◽

Reema Tayyem ◽

Osama Al-Lalla ◽

Essa Y. H. Ali ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United Arab Emirates ◽

Task Force ◽

Sampling Technique ◽

Total Sample ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Overweight And Obesity ◽

Arab Countries ◽

Reference Standard ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Prevalence Of Obesity

Objective. The aim of this study was to find out the prevalence of overweight and obesity among adolescents in seven Arab countries using similar reference standard.Methods. A school-based cross-sectional study was carried out in seven cities in Arab countries, namely, Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria, and United Arab Emirates. A multistage stratified random sampling technique was used. The total sample included was 4698 adolescents aged from 15 to 18 years (2240 males, 2458 females). The International Obesity Task Force (IOTF) reference standard was used to classify the adolescents as nonobese, overweight, and obese.Results. Among males, overweight was highest among Kuwaiti adolescents (25.6%), followed by Jordanian (21.6%), and Syrian (19.7%) adolescents. Among females, the highest prevalence of overweight was reported in Libyan adolescents (26.6%), followed by Kuwaiti (20.8%), and Syrian (19.7%) adolescents. As for obesity, Kuwaiti adolescents showed the highest prevalence of obesity for both males (34.8%) and females (20.6%).Conclusion. There is an urgent need to establish a plan of action to combat obesity in schoolchildren in these countries.

Download Full-text