Prevalence and determinants of overweight/obesity among school-aged adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study of private and public schools

Wegdan Baniissa; Hadia Radwan; Rachel Rossiter; Randa Fakhry; Nabeel Al-Yateem; Arwa Al-Shujairi; Sanah Hasan; Soultana Macridis; Abeer A Farghaly; Lin Naing; Manal A Awad

doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038667

Prevalence and determinants of overweight/obesity among school-aged adolescents in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study of private and public schools

BMJ Open. 2020 Dec 12;10(12):e038667. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-038667.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE [email protected].
² College of Health Sciences, Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Sharjah, Research Institute of Medical and Health Sciences, Sharjah, UAE.
³ School of Nursing, Midwifery and Indigenous Health, Faculty of Science, Charles Sturt University, Orange, New South Wales, Australia.
⁴ College of Health Sciences, Department of Nursing, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
⁵ Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.
⁶ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Ajman University, Ajman, UAE.
⁷ Centre for Active Living, Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport and Recreation, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
⁸ Department of Cardiology and Geriatric Physical Therapy, Faculty of Physical therapy, Cairo University, Cairo, Egypt.
⁹ PAPRSB Institute of Health Sciences, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei, Darussalam.
¹⁰ College of Dental Medicine-Department of Preventive and Restorative Dentistry, Research Institute for Medical and Health Sciences, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE.

Abstract

Objectives: To estimate the prevalence and predictors of obesity among adolescents in the United Arab Emirates.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: Private and public secondary schools.

Participants: Adolescents aged 13-19 years; 434 (46.6%) from private schools and 498 (53.4%) from public schools.

Measures: Self-report questionnaires were used to assess adolescents' sociodemographic factors, fruit/vegetable (F/V) intake and physical activity. Participants' weight, height, waist circumference (WC), hip circumference and body fat percentage (%BF) were measured, and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and body mass index (BMI) were calculated. Overweight/obesity was determined by BMI ≥85th percentile for age, abdominal obesity (AO) (WC, WHtR and WHR) and %BF.

Results: A total of 34.7% of participants were overweight/obese (BMI ≥85th percentile) and 378 (40.6%) had high %BF. AO was noted in 47.3%, 22.7% and 27.1% of participants, based on WC, WHR and WHtR, respectively. Significantly more participants from public schools were overweight/obese (37.8% vs 31.1%) and had greater AO (based on WC, WHR, WHtR) compared with those from private schools. Predictors of obesity based on BMI were: consuming less than five servings of F/V (adjusted OR (AOR) 2.41, 95% CI: 1.73 to 3.36), being physically inactive (AOR 2.09, CI: 1.36 to 3.22) and being men (AOR 3.35, 95% CI: 2.20 to 5.10). Predictors of AO were being men (WC: AOR 1.42, 95% CI: 1.01 to 2.00; WHtR: AOR 2.72, 95% CI: 1.81 to 4.08); studying at public school (WHR: AOR 1.67, 95% CI: 1.06 to 2.66); being Emirati (WHR: AOR 0.62, 95% CI: 0.43 to 0.90); consuming less than five servings of F/V (WC: AOR 1.71, 95% CI: 1.27 to 2.30; WHtR: AOR 1.46, 95% CI: 1.05 to 2.03), and being physically inactive (WC: AOR 1.63; 95% CI: 1.13 to 2.35).

Conclusions: Focused interventions are needed to combat obesity while considering AO indicators and BMI to diagnose obesity in adolescents.

Keywords: nutrition; nutrition & dietetics; public health.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Body Mass Index
Cross-Sectional Studies
Female
Humans
Male
Obesity* / epidemiology
Overweight* / epidemiology
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Schools
United Arab Emirates / epidemiology
Waist Circumference
Waist-Hip Ratio
Young Adult