Childhood obesity in United Arab Emirates schoolchildren: a national study

The study assessed the national prevalence of obesity among schoolchildren in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

A stratified 10% random sample of 16,391 children was drawn from 145,492 pupils in the UAE.

Height and weight were measured by physicians and trained nurses, and the body mass index (BMI; weight (kg)/height (m)2) was computed. BMIs for UAE were compared to recently published international standards.

Comparison of BMIs to international reference data revealed that UAE children are at increased risk for overweight (>25 kg m-2 and =30 kg m-2) and obesity (=30 kg m-2). For example, 10-year-old male UAE children had 1.7 times the rate of overweight compared to international standards and 1.9 times at 18 years. Similarly, female UAE children have 1.8 times the rate of overweight compared to international standards at 10 and 18 years of age. Obesity was 2.3-fold higher among UAE males at 14 years compared to international standards, and increased to 3.6 times at 18 years of age. Among UAE female children, obesity was same as males at 14 years, 2.3 times than the international standards. At 18 years of age, UAE female obesity was 1.9-fold higher than the international standard, nearly one-half the rate of obesity among UAE males at the same age.

The frequency of obesity among UAE youth is two to three times greater than the recently published international standard. Profound public health implications of childhood obesity for UAE children and young adults are seriously increased because of adult chronic disease processes (e.g. cardiovascular disease, diabetes) normally attendant to increased obesity rates.