Abstract
The 2017 prevalence of obesity among children (age 5–17 years) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is 13.68%. Childhood obesity is one of the 10 top health priorities in the UAE. This study examines the quality, frequency, sources, scope and framing of childhood obesity in popular social media and three leading UAE newspapers from 2014 to 2017. During the review period, 152 newspaper articles from three leading national newspapers – Gulf News, The National and Al Ittihad – met the eligibility criteria for this study. There were 57 Facebook posts, 50 Twitter posts, 14 posted YouTube videos, and 13 Media releases on related to childhood obesity between 2014 and 2017. Childhood obesity was consistently problematized, primarily in health terms, but was not strongly linked to socio-economic and geographical factors. Childhood obesity was framed as being predominantly influenced by individual and parental behaviours more frequently (n = 76) compared with structural or environmental factors such as the roles of the food and beverage industry (n = 22). Unlike findings from studies with adult obesity, articles advocating individual behavior changes to address childhood obesity were relatively few (n = 29). Social media may be an effective way to help children overcome obesity, in part through online interaction with health care providers and health conscious obese peers. Areas for improvement in social media use to reduce childhood obesity prevalence in UAE include enhancing public engagement with social media posts on childhood obesity, as reflected in the numbers of Likes and Retweets or Shares.
Highlights
Niyi AwoCfeosmo*mID e, nSatroanA“l NImaavmig,aAtirnwgaBAehtmweeden Stealth Advocacy and Unconscious Dogmatism: The Challenge of Researching the Norms, Politics and Power of Global Health”
We used the same keywords related to childhood obesity that were used in the newspapers search engines earlier in the three social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube; in which, we found only few of the results, since the social media result of searches prioritize the recent posts more than old posts from 4 years ago, that are less relevant
RQ1: How frequently are childhood obesity articles and posts focussed on United Arab Emirates (UAE) published in the three leading UAE newspapers and by the three main health authorities in UAE?
Summary
Niyi AwoCfeosmo*mID e, nSatroanA“l NImaavmig,aAtirnwgaBAehtmweeden Stealth Advocacy and Unconscious Dogmatism: The Challenge of Researching the Norms, Politics and Power of Global Health”. ConsistentlCyhparnotballeMmoautifzfeed, w, periinmtraordiluycienahceoanlftlhictteuraml cso, nbcuetpwt oasf tnhoetpsotrliotincgallyaslinankeadltetornsaoticvieo-toecOonomoms’icoanncdepgteioong.raphical factors. IpCriotapteirolny:ciAtewndo.faesroecNe,ntAcl oImntarmibuSt,ioAnhmtoedthAe.oCnognotienngt daneablaytseis aobfomutedthiaecoveratgaekeofthcheilpdohloitoidcaolbaessittyhetoppricims ianry level and the normative as UAE newsparpoelres oafnpdopwoeprulianr gsloocbiaall mheeadlitah,pGlatoforirkmsO, o2m01s4-e2m01p7h. Polit*icCaolr?respondence to: doi:10.15171th/iejhnpmor.m20a1t8iv.1e0u0nderpinnings of global health politics. That is what we will try to do heNriey,i Abwyofiensotroducing an (2) a lack of agreement between global health scholars and “ constructivists have emphasized how underlying Introducptoiolincy-makers regarding the normative premises underlying childnotormbaetibveetwsetreunct$u1r2e s660coannsdtit$u1te9 00a0ct.o4-r6s’ identities and AccordinpgotliocyW, oanrldd H(3e)alathlaOckrgaonf izwaitliloinng(nWessHOam) ognugidesclihnoelsa,rs to Thinetemreasstss,mtheedyiah’savreorlearienlycthreiladtehdoothdesoebneosirtmy aitsivaemstbriugcutouuress. This Excetshseimveselvemseadsiadefineendgagnedminefnuts,ed beyxepmowpleirf,ieodr embpyhasiTzeVd than 95%coonffuBsMioIns iosffcohr iOldormens oofntehoefstahme eexapgleanaantdiongsen“dwehryinglobal instahlolawtioconnsintitucthiviledreeffne’cstsbealdsrooaorme eixsprceosmsiomnsonoflypocwoners.”id[22] eTrheids the referheenacleth’ps oppoulilcayt-imona.keWrsHaOre ndoetfiinmepslecmhielndtrienng tfhroemknaogweledge a feaistuthree sotafrotibnegspoogienntifcoretnhveirpoonlimticeanlttsh. 2017 preavpaplernoaccehoifs oabfiecstiitoyna,”manodngthcaht isludcrhena (vaiegwe 5ri–sk1s7cyoevaerrsin) g up effectthirvoeugdhissewmhiicnhatiaonn oorfdcerredisiblcereiantefodr,moartgiaonnizainmgonhgumkaeny was 13.68“t%he, raoclceoorfdpinoglittiocstahnedUpAowEeVr.”isBiuotnb2y0c2o1ntpraesrtfionrgmthainscfeiction stakechoeoxldiseterns,ceanind tshuestcaoinntienxgt oinf fcoornmflaictitounalaitlysporcoivaildiendflbuyenthce indicatorws iftohrgwloobralldhcelaaltshs rheesaelatrhchse“rdvrivcens. bTyhcirsisperse, vhaolteniscseueis, and whepnoolintiecaml.”33eAmnbiesrsuoefoarna toobpeicseneaeddoslteoscbeenctocnotehsoterdt tboebgeincosmtoe higher thtahne tchoantcoerfnasnoyfnoartgioannizinedthinetEeruersot pgreoaunpUs,”naiosna (“EpUat)howre are dempoonlsittircaatle, aenfdfescutcivhea wcoenigtehsttatcioonnsccoionucesrnbsephuabvliiocra.8ctPioanreanntds the EU 20tr1y3inagvetroagmeopvreevaawlaeyncfreofmor,”chOioldmhsoiosdsoubbmesiitttyinogf 6to.6a%l.i3beral havecraeamteasjoar‘wine’flaunedn‘cteheoyn’ fochrmildorfenco’sllwecetiigvehtidpernotfiifliecas,tiionn.pBaurtt
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
