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This paper gives a summary of the findings of five articles carried out in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), relating to various health challenges.
The first article involves a study conducted by Laleye et al. (2011) which assessed the intake of vitamin D and vitamin A by female students at the UAE University, based on self reported dietary and selected fortified food consumption.
According to a study conducted in the Eastern Mediterranean region by WHO in 2003, vitamin A and D deficiencies are public health problems affecting populations in several countries of the region.
Data was acquired through a semi quarantine questionnaire. The questionnaire prepared sought to collect data related to dietary habits, food consumption patterns, consumption of vitamin A and D fortified foods, fortified milk and oil, and other selected fortified foods available in UAE grocery stores.
The study took nine months, and three hundred and thirty four Emirati female students aged between 19-23 years took part in the study. Each participant was surveyed three times during the 9-month period, and the average data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). A pilot study involving 20 volunteers was conducted before carrying out the full study in order to validate the questionnaires.
The study found out that female students at UAE University showed an estimated 37% insufficiency of vitamin D based on self recorded food records over a 9-month period. In addition, the study revealed that 30% of the female student population showed vitamin A insufficiency.
The study was in agreement with World Health Organization’s (WHO) results collected in 2003, which indicated vitamin D deficiency is a public health problem amongst the population in the Middle East, including the UAE. The study found out that there is a significant low amount of vitamins A and D in Emirati and fortified food consumed by female students at the UAE University.
Some samples were over fortified or under fortified. Others had false information. The researchers recommended that a large national food consumer study should be conducted to gather more information.
The study methodology and findings of this study appear reliable. Although the sample size was small, it was able to reflect the target population.
The second article involves a study conducted by Al-Haddad, Little and Ghafoor (2005) which assessed the national prevalence of obesity among school children in the UAE. The researchers randomly selected 16 391 participants from 145 492 pupils in the UAE.
The methodology employed involved the measurement of height and weight of the participants by physicians or qualified nurses. The data collected was used to compute the body mass index (BMI). The researchers analyzed BMIs from this study by comparing them with recent international standards. Data were analyzed using SAS software.
The study found out that the frequency of UAE children that were overweight and obese varied across the age group studied. Before 9 years of age, males and females were below the Cole et al. international standards for weight and obesity. A consistent increase in overweight and obesity occurred among both males and females from the age of 9 to 18.
In UAE males, the overweight and obesity frequency increased from 16.4% to over 29% between the ages of 9 and 18. In females, the frequency stood at 22.8% at the age of 10 and more than 27% at the age of 18. The study found out that obesity occurred 1.8 fold more frequently in 10 year old UAE children than their agemates internationally.
In addition, the study indicated that most of the obesity experienced in adolescents, begins in childhood. They recommended that longitudinal studies should be conducted in the future to provide legitimate data. The researchers also advised the government to come up with strategic, preventative measures to identify overweight and obese children during preadolescence, and target them for intensive intervention.
The study methodology employed shows some degree of unreliability, putting their findings in question. However, the sample size used was big enough to provide generalization to the target population.
In the third article, Zaal, Musaiger and Souza (2009, p. 437) aimed at “evaluating the association between the dietary habits and behavior factors with the increased risk of obesity amongst adolescents in Dubai”.
The researchers employed a cross sectional study that involved 324 boys and 337 girls aged 12 to 17 years. Multistage stratified random sampling was employed to select the participants. The age of 14 reported the highest percentage of obesity in both boys and girls.
In girls, the study found that obesity was significantly influenced by two factors; the frequency of eating breakfast and snacking between breakfast and lunch. The risk of developing obesity was high in both boys and girls who took breakfast at school. The risk of developing obesity due to taking fast foods was high in girls but not in boys.
However, boys who took fast food from home had a higher risk. Data collection procedures appear unreliable. In addition, sample size was remarkably small thus; the findings cannot be generalized to the whole population in Abu Dhabi.
The researchers recommended that “intervention programs on promoting changes in lifestyle, food habits and increasing physical activity need to be implemented a soon as possible” (Zaal, Musaiger & Souza, p. 444).
The fourth article illustrates a study by Al Hammadi, Maskari and Bernsen (2009) that investigated the prevalence of food allergy (FA) among children in Al-Ain City, UAE. The researchers first gave parents a questionnaire to fill, in order to assess the presence or absence of physical diagnosis of FA and other allergic diseases.
Multistage random sampling was then employed to select a sample of 397 children whose parents had filled the questionnaire. The study revealed that physician diagnosed FA stood at 8%. Eggs, fruits and fish appeared as the major causes of allergic reactions. In addition, family history, history of other atopic diseases and small sibship size influenced the possibility of having FA.
The data collection method employed appears reliable. However, the sample size was extremely small. Despite the sample size being small, the results permitted generalization to the target population.
In the final article, Hajat, Harrison and Siksek (2011) sought to determine the cardiovascular risk factor prevalence rates among adults in Abu Dhabi. Self reported indicators, anthropometric measures and blood tests were used to collect data regarding the risks under investigation in 50138 individuals aged 18 years and above.
The study revealed the following risk factors together with their associated degrees of influence(Hajat, Harrison & Siksek, 2011): obesity; 35%, overweight; 32%, central obesity; 55%, diabetes 18%; prediabetes, 27%; dyslipidemia; 44% and hypertension; 23.1%. The researchers argued there is a cardiovascular burden on Abu Dhabi.
They suggested that programs need to be devised and implemented to address this challenge. The methodology employed appears reliable. However, data collection might have been compromised. The sample size appears big enough to make a generalizable conclusion.
References
Al-Haddad, F., Little, B. and Ghafoor, A. (2005). Childhood Obesiy in UAE School children: A national Study. Annals of Human Biology, 32(1), 72-79.
Al-Hammadi, S., Al-Maskari, F. and Bernsen, R. (2009). Preverlence of Food Allergy Among Children in Al-Ain City, UAE. International Archive of Allergy and Immunology, 151, 336-342.
Hajat, C., Harrison, O. and Siksek, Z. (2011). Weqaya: A Population Wide Cardiovascular Screening Program in Abu Dhabi, UAE. American Journal of Public Health, 10(20), e1-e6.
Laleye, L.et al. (2011). Assessment of Vitamin D and Vitamin A Intake by Female Students at the United Arab Emirates University Based on Self Reported Dietary and Selected Fortified Food Comsumption. International Journal of Food Sciences and Nutrition, 62(4), 370-376.
Zaal, A. Musaiger, O., and Souza, R. (2009). Diatary Habits Associated with Obesity among Adolescents in Dubai, UAE. Nutricion Hosptalaria, 24(4), 437-444.
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