DUBAI // Residents believe they are healthier than they actually are, a nationwide survey has found.
Fifty-two per cent of those who took part in the survey were overweight or obese and 35 per cent exercised less than once a week, the results of the NMC Health Index show.
The index is the first of its kind in the country and also measures the social and emotional well-being of residents.
“We found that people tended to think they were healthier than they were in reality,” said Dr Ravi Arora, a diabetologist at NMC Speciality Hospital in Abu Dhabi.
“However, the reality is much different and we hope that the findings of this survey will raise awareness of the issue of poor health.”
More than 1,000 people answered a series of questions regarding health and well-being as part of an online study of residents of all ages and nationalities.
The study found that 53 per cent of respondents felt that their health had improved, yet 26 per cent of them had been diagnosed with non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, high cholesterol or high blood pressure.
Twenty per cent of respondents smoked. Among this group, 26 per cent smoked about 101 to 200 cigarettes a week.
Only 10 per cent of respondents said they consumed alcohol; 86 per cent of these said they had 14 units or fewer of alcohol each week.
“The thinking behind this survey is to raise awareness of the issue through the media and medical professionals about the importance of health and well-being,” said Dr Arora, who would like to see an end to the “supersize” culture in the UAE. “If you go into a mall, for example, many places offer customers the option to supersize their meals,” he said.
“But more often than not it simply means larger portions of fries or soft drinks, and that is not healthy.”
The survey also found that residents scored low on their emotional health. Sixty-four per cent of respondents said they felt highly or fairly stressed in their daily lives.
Fifty per cent said they spent less than five hours a week on leisure activities and only 50 per cent slept the recommended period of seven to eight hours a night.
“Emotional health is just as important and has a real impact on physical health,” said Dr Arora. “Unfortunately, it is not something that is measurable but it’s something that needs to be addressed.”
Dr B R Shetty, NMC Healthcare’s founder and chief executive, said the findings would surprise many.
“Most respondents said that having a healthy and active lifestyle was important to them, [but] these results show there is a lot that can be done to improve actual wellness and well-being of residents,” he said.
On a health scale of zero to 100, with 100 representing the ideal score, the UAE achieved a score of just 65.
People from the Indian subcontinent scored 69, Emiratis 68, Filipinos 64 and Arab expatriates 60. Western expatriates made up a small percentage of respondents and were included in an “other” group, which scored 60 overall.
“This survey will provide a baseline that we can build upon because we plan to do this on an annual basis,” said Phil Riggins, a partner at Brunswick Insight, which conducted the study.
“Although we plan to run these studies on an annual basis, people can fill in the answers whenever they want.
“By answering the questions now and then again in six months’ time, for example, you can track your progress and see if you are becoming healthier or not.”
The survey findings will be available to other agencies and organisations to use.
Marwan Abedin, Dubai Healthcare City’s chief executive, said health indexes were important because they evaluate the quality of life over a period of time.
“A health index can potentially be an indicator to correct unhealthy behaviours and assess programmes that need improvement,” said Mr Abedin.
Dr Arora said the transient nature of the population meant that health authorities had to continually expound the importance of a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s often said that people only retain 20 per cent of what you tell them. As healthcare professionals we have to constantly remind our patients about how to prevent these non-communicable diseases,” said Dr Arora.
People can still participate in the survey by visiting www.healthindex.ae.
nhanif@thenational.ae
