Abstract
BackgroundTobacco use and unhealthy lifestyle habits amongst youth contribute to most major health issues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and worldwide. However up to date and comprehensive statistics are not available on the current behavior, experimentation and environmental influences on teenagers in the UAE’s expatriate community, who are greatly impacted by the country’s culture and environment, as well as bringing influences from their cultures of origin. Expatriates comprise a majority of the UAE population, making them an important subset of the population to study.MethodTo address this gap in knowledge, a survey was conducted to collect information on tobacco use, physical activity and nutrition behaviors, anti-tobacco media/legislation effectiveness and health education gaps.ResultsOur results provide a summary on each of these topics with regards to ninth grade expatriates in the UAE. We offer the first statistics on dokha use in this age group and uncover signs of underlying eating disorders.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we call for a tobacco use, nutrition and physical activity intervention targeted at this age group of UAE expatriates.
Highlights
Tobacco use and unhealthy lifestyle habits amongst youth contribute to most major health issues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and worldwide
We offer the first statistics on dokha use in this age group and uncover signs of underlying eating disorders
In conclusion, we call for a tobacco use, nutrition and physical activity intervention targeted at this age group of UAE expatriates
Summary
Tobacco use and unhealthy lifestyle habits amongst youth contribute to most major health issues in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and worldwide. In the fight against non-communicable diseases, it is well established that a few key lifestyle choices can act as profoundly effective preventive measures These include choices regarding tobacco use, nutrition, and physical activity [1]. The legal smoking age is 18 years, the most recent statistics available reveal that 12 % of males and 2.5 % of females aged 13–15 years are current cigarette smokers [5]. A study from 2010 states that of young cigarette smokers in the UAE, over 82 % of them tried their first cigarette before the age of 14 [7] None of these statistics, apply solely to expatriate communities in the country. Tobacco products are cheap (approximately 2.5 USD for a pack of cigarettes) and accessible
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