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Obesity on the rise in UAE school children

The survey results were presented at the 8^th two-day AGCC School Health meeting held in Dubai on February 26.

According to the survey carried out in the UAE from March 19, 2005 to April 30, 2005, and released earlier this year, “During the past 30 days, 9.3 per cent of students smoked cigarettes and 10.7 per cent used one other form of tobacco on one or more days. Boys were found to be significantly more likely than girl students to smoke or use tobacco in any form.”

Giving details, Dr Nasim Mohammed Ibrahim, Director, Primary Healthcare Care (PHC) Department at Ministry of Health office in Sharjah, said, “During the past 12 months, 31.9 per cent of the students were physically attacked once or more times. Overall, 43.2 per cent of the students were in a physical fight during the past 12 months while 20.8 per cent were bullied on one or more days during the past 30 days.”

She also said that 33.6 per cent of students surveyed were either overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. More alarming is that 38.8 per cent of the students spent three or more hours per day doing sitting activities during a typical or usual day. During the past seven days, only 19.5 per cent of the students were physically active daily for a total of at least 60 minutes per day.

A total of 15,790 students from 200 schools from four regions of the UAE responded to the questionnaire. Sixty-seven per cent of the students were in the age group of 13-15 years (Grades 7-10), while 89 per cent of those surveyed completed the questionnaire.

Dr Nasim said, “The survey has revealed that there are several dietary behaviours and sedentary lifestyle that have led to increasing rates of obesity. We also believe that these are caused due to wide socio-cultural differences in the society, which have weakened the family role and its protective nature. This has exposed students to an unfavourable environment outside home.”

She pointed out that the MoH recommends developing and implementing strategies based on the best available scientific research and evidence that are multi-sectoral, comprehensive and culturally appropriate. “We suggest that the action plan and policies should both be incorporated so as to address all major health behaviours,” she added.

The GSHS has been developed by the World Health Organisation and carried out in the UAE in collaboration with the Ministry of Health. It aims to provide accurate data on health behaviours and other factors among students to evaluate school health programmes.

Smoke-free schools

Dr Wedad Al Maidoor, Head of the National Committee on Smoking Cessation, MoH, said the UAE was contemplating implementation of the international initiative “Smoke free schools/universities programme” in the UAE.

“A particular law to ban smoking in schools is not feasible because schools are required to be smoke-free zones. Therefore, implementation of the ‘smoke-free’ programme is a suitable option.”

Meanwhile, in a merger, all school health services in the UAE will now be placed under the umbrella of the ministry’s Primary Healthcare Centres instead of the School Health Department, said a senior Ministry of Health official yesterday.

Dr Nasim Mohammed Ibrahim, Director of Primary Healthcare Care (PHC) Department at MoH, Sharjah, speaking on the sidelines of the 8^th two-day AGCC School Health meeting held in Dubai yesterday said, “The PHCs will be responsible for issuing regulations on factors such as health education, diet of students, dental issues as well as all other kinds of services.”

She explained that the programme had been implemented in Ras Al Khaimah in August last year, while in Dubai and Sharjah it would be done soon.

• UAE