Results from the United Arab Emirates 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents

Alrahma, Ali Muneer; Suwaidi, Hanan Al; Gurg, Reem Al; Farah, Zeina; Khansaheb, Hamda; Ajja, Rahma; Alzaabi, Mouza; Hamiz, Aisha Al; AlJunaibi, Abdulla; Abdulle, Abdishakur; Dhaheri, Aysha Al; Shah, Syed M.; Nauman, Javaid; Loney, Tom

doi:10.1016/j.jesf.2023.02.002

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 23 publications

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“…Moreover, a survey of 1540 people showed that the rate of physical inactivity was 23.3% before the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and 32% during the lockdown [24]. The 2022 Report Card that utilized data from 2017 to 2021 to apprise the core physical activity indicators for children and adolescents of the UAE showed that just one in ve (19%) individuals achieved the recommended amount of moderate to vigorous activity [35]. Although physical activity levels remain relatively low in the UAE for children and adolescents, their ndings showed an improvement of 3% [39].…”

Section: Key Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Wellness Characteristics of Employees Enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Study in the United Arab Emirates: A Descriptive Analysis

Mohammad¹,

Paulo

Hosani

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Introduction: Modifiable health behaviors have the power to increase (or decrease) the risk of chronic diseases, impacting a population’s health and life span. Health and wellness programs can potentially play a major role in initiating and supporting positive changes in health behaviors, which may lead to improving an individual’s health span and reducing the risk of premature mortality. A better understanding of the health and well-being status of the population is crucial to the design of proper and effective interventions. This study aimed to describe the health and well-being status of a cohort of 123 employees in the United Arab Emirates. Methods and analysis: This study reports the demographic characteristics, body composition, cardiovascular fitness, functional fitness, biological age, and well-being of 123 employees from a large health sector company enrolled in a workplace wellness study in the United Arab Emirates. Employees were invited to participate in an intervention that was designed to validate the efficacy of weekly health and wellness challenges. Descriptive statistics were used to describe the employees' distribution. Results: The mean age of participants was 39.2 years old, 80% of them were non-Emirati, and the majority were from Middle-Eastern and South Asian ethnicities. The prevalence of overweight, obesity, hypercholesterolemia, hyperlipidemia, prediabetes, diabetes was 35%, 29%, 34%, 79%, 30%, 7%, respectively. Almost half of the participants (47%) were prehypertensive for systolic blood pressure, 80% had fitness category of poor-very poor, and majority (60%) reported exercising <150 minutes/week. The mean functional fitness score was 12.2 points, which indicated an increased risk of injury with physical activity. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that despite the advancements in healthcare in the UAE, several key preventable risk factors are still prevalent in its population. The introduction of health and wellness programs can support healthier lifestyles to achieve improvements in quality of life and health expectancy among the UAE population.

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Section: Key Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Health and Wellness Characteristics of Employees Enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Study in the United Arab Emirates: A Descriptive Analysis

Mohammad¹,

Paulo

Hosani

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Consistent with global trends in PA among school-age youth [ 3 ], most children and adolescents in the UAE are insufficiently active [ 23 ]. The current study drew upon conceptions of whole-of-school PA promotion [ 7 – 9 ] to examine schools’ participation in Dubai 30x30.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…In parallel with global trends, 81% of children and adolescents in the United Arab Emirates are not accumulating at least 60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous PA each day [ 23 ]. One initiative that may help to address this issue is the Dubai Fitness Challenge.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Whole-of-school physical activity implementation in the context of the Dubai Fitness Challenge

McMahon,

Webster,

Weaver

et al. 2024

PLoS ONE

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Introduction Physical activity (PA) promotion among school-aged youth is a global health priority. Recommendations for such promotion include implementing whole-of-school approaches that maximize resources across the school environment. This study examined schools’ participation in an annual, government-led, and emirate-wide initiative in Dubai, called the Dubai Fitness Challenge, in which the goal is to accrue 30 minutes of PA every day for 30 days (as such, the initiative is colloquially referred to as “Dubai 30x30”). Methods A mixed-methods design was employed for this study. Three schools were recruited using convenience sampling. Participants were 18 physical education teachers, 20 classroom teachers, 2 principals and 45 students. Data sources included surveys, focus groups, and interviews. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, multinomial logistic regression, and open and axial coding to develop themes. Results School staff reported that most Dubai 30x30 activities were provided in physical education, at break times during school, and before and after school. Students reported that they mainly participated in Dubai 30x30 activities during physical education and occasionally participated in activities after school and on weekends. During school, students were more likely to reach higher PA intensity levels when they were in contexts other than the regular classroom setting. Among school staff, physical education teachers were most involved and classroom teachers were least involved in promoting Dubai 30x30. Parent engagement was high. Staff perceived that Dubai 30x30 brought the community together, but physical education teachers also indicated there was a lack of implementation guidance and they felt burdened. Participants believed Dubai 30x30 increased PA participation and helped to promote their schools. Discussion This study provides an initial glimpse into schools’ participation in Dubai 30x30 and suggests that a whole-of-school PA lens is useful in gleaning information that could help to increase and optimize PA opportunities for students.

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Enhancing young children's executive function through physical activities: A three-level meta-analysis

Wei,

Wang,

Tang

et al. 2024

Mental Health and Physical Activity

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Results from the United Arab Emirates 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents

Cited by 4 publications

References 23 publications

Health and Wellness Characteristics of Employees Enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Study in the United Arab Emirates: A Descriptive Analysis

Health and Wellness Characteristics of Employees Enrolled in a Workplace Wellness Study in the United Arab Emirates: A Descriptive Analysis

Whole-of-school physical activity implementation in the context of the Dubai Fitness Challenge

Enhancing young children's executive function through physical activities: A three-level meta-analysis

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