Dubai - Hint: They just don't have the time!
Published: Wed 13 Jan 2016, 7:23 PM
Last updated: Thu 14 Jan 2016, 7:30 AM
A sizeable number of adolescents in the UAE do not obtain any kind of healthcare because they are too busy, dislike/are afraid of doctors or do not like waiting at hospitals, a study that looks into healthcare accessibility for youngsters in the country has revealed.
The study took the opinion of 6,363 adolescents (aged 13 to 20 years) from 147 public and private secondary schools in the country.
Published in the Eastern Mediterranean health journal recently, nearly 23 per cent of participants reported that they did not get any healthcare in the last 12 months.
The three most common reasons for not obtaining healthcare were busy schedule (34.7 per cent), dislike/fear of doctors (19.8 per cent) and long waiting hours at the hospital (15.5 per cent).
More females reported not obtaining healthcare due to dislike/fear of doctors than did males.
Overall, only 19.5 per cent of participants had had a routine physical health check-up without having a specific problem.
Caroline Barakat-Haddad, assistant professor, faculty of health sciences, University of Ontario Institute of Technology Canada, who undertook the study with colleagues, said the UAE adolescents have the potential to contribute significantly to the country's labour-intensive economy.
"Risk factors of many chronic diseases, including tobacco use, sedentary habits and poor diet begin in adolescence, and therefore monitoring health outcomes during adolescence is particularly important," she told Khaleej Times. "In addition, accessing healthcare and learning about disease prevention and health promotion from professionals is extremely important for public health and has the potential to reduce the healthcare burden in populations."
The study also found that most-consulted health professionals were dentists or orthodontists (20.6 per cent), followed by family doctors (13.6 per cent) and eye specialists (12 per cent).
Emirati adolescents were more likely to go to public clinics/hospitals (44.4 per cent) than private facilities, while the opposite was true for expatriates (49.6 per cent).
Developing evidence-based policies that encourage screening for health problems and for risky behaviours are crucial for promoting health and yielding long-term health benefits among adolescents.
asmaalizain@khaleejtimes.com
You have to see a doc when you have to, say residents
Dubai resident and grade 12 student Muskaan Bhagchandani says she used to be scared of doctors when she was young. "When I was a child I was scared, but now I'm not. I actually want to be a doctor," she says.
Uzbeki national Shakhribonu Tursunova, who's been in Dubai for five years, says she is not afraid to go to a doctor. "If you need to go see a doctor, then long waiting lines won't matter, of course."
Tursunova has been to a doctor here in Dubai a couple of times in the last few years, and says, "It's been fine, mostly positive experiences. No, I have not been scared."
Melissa Esteves, Indian national who has been in Dubai for a year and a half, says she has only had to go to a dentist once in the UAE, and says, "but I wasn't really scared". And no, long lines would not affect her decision to go to a hospital. "It's not a pleasant experience, but if you have to go to a doctor, then what's the choice?"
- Nivriti Butalia
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