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Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the mental well-being of students worldwide. There is a scarcity of information on the mental health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This study aimed to investigate the mental health impact of the COVID-19, including depression, anxiety and resilience among a sample of university students in the UAE. Methods: A cross-sectional study using an online survey was conducted from September to November 2021. The patient health questionnaire (PHQ-9), generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7) and Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC-10) were used to assess depression, anxiety, and resilience. The COVID-19 impact was assessed using a list of questions. Results: Only, 798 students completed the survey and were analyzed for this study. Overall, 74.8% of the students were females, 91.2% were never married, and 66.3% were UAE-nationals. Based on PHQ-9 and GAD-7 cut-off scores (≥ 10), four out of ten of the students self-reported moderate and severe depression (40.9%) and anxiety (39.1%). Significantly higher mean PHQ-9 and GAD-7 scores were found among students who were impacted by COVID-19 than those non-impacted (mean PHQ-9 of 9.51± 6.39 and 6.80 ±6.34; p= 0.001, respectively) and (mean GAD-7 of 9.03 ±6.00 and 8.54 ±6.02; respectively, p < 0.001). Female students who were impacted by COVID-19 had statistically significant higher depression and anxiety scores than the non-impacted females (mean PHQ-9 of 9.14 ±5.86 versus 6.83 ±6.25, respectively; pConclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that the COVID-19 pandemic has negatively impacted the mental health of this sample of university students in terms of depression and anxiety. The results highlight the need to adopt culturally appropriate interventions for university students and focus on vulnerable groups.

Background Minimal data is available on the prevalence and correlates of hypertension and prehypertension in Dubai. The study aims to measure the prevalence of hypertension and pre-hypertension and the associated socio-demographic characteristics, behavioral risk factors and comorbidities among the adult population of Dubai. Methods This study used data from the Dubai Household Health Survey, 2019. A cross-sectional population survey based on a complex stratified cluster random design. The total eligible sample included 2,530 adults (18+). Sociodemographic and behavioral factors were considered as independent covariates. The main study outcome variables, pre-hypertension and hypertension, were ordinal, with normotension as the reference group. Results The overall prevalence of hypertension in adults was 32.5% (38.37% in males and 16.66% in females). Prehypertension was prevalent in 29.8% of adults in Dubai (28.85% in males and 32.31% in females). The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that age groups, gender, occupation, and high Body Mass Index were significantly associated with a higher risk of hypertension at the level of p

Background: Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are the leading causes of death worldwide. In the UAE, NCDs account for nearly 77% of all deaths. There is limited empirical research on this topic in the UAE. We aim to examine this association among the adult population in the Emirate of Dubai.Method: This study used data from the Dubai Household Health Survey (DHHS), 2019. In this survey, 2,247 families were interviewed and only adults aged 18+ were included for the analysis. The self-reported chronic disease was defined as reporting any chronic morbidities occurred during the past year that required ongoing medical attention and medical care. Sociodemographic characteristics covariates were age group, marital status, nationality, gender, education and working status. The quasi-binomial distribution was used to identify factors associated with chronic disease.Results: The prevalence of chronic diseases among the adult population of Dubai was 15.01%. Individuals aged 60+, local Arabs (Emirati), divorced and widowed individuals, and individuals who were not currently working reported a chronic disease more than the other groups. In the regression analysis, age (years) was the strongest predictor (OR 3.6, 95% CI: 2.8, 4.7). Males were more likely to report a chronic disease (OR 1.61, 95% CI: 1.277, 2.035). Unmarried individuals were less likely to report a chronic disease (OR 0.11, 95% CI: 0.02, 0.70). However, older individuals who were unmarried were more likely to report a chronic disease compared to the reference group (OR 2.8, 95% CI: 1.2, 6.1). Emiratis were more likely to report a chronic disease (OR 2.08, 95% CI: 1.62, 2.67).Conclusion: The self-reported rate of chronic disease was shown to be higher in older individuals, males, Emiratis, and older individuals who were unmarried. This is one of the few studies related to chronic diseases in Dubai. It is important to translate the current study findings into policies to help reduce the incidence of chronic diseases in Dubai and to minimize the negative impact of these illnesses, particularly among those with the sociodemographic risk factors identified here. In addition, healthcare services and resources should be reallocated to the population groups with greater health needs.

Background: The Dubai Health Authority (DHA) spends millions of dollars to cover United Arab Emirates (UAE) nationals seeking healthcare overseas each year. Many patients undertake multiple visits following their initial trip. This paper analyzes repeated trips following an initial medical trip overseas so that the DHA can more effectively address patients’ needs and reduce the risks associated with multiple trips overseas.Methods: Administrative data were obtained from the DHA for the UAE nationals who sought treatment overseas during 2009–2016. We examined the match of the medical specialty between the initial and subsequent trips. Medical specialty was the key independent variable and other covariates included gender, age group, travel season, treatment destination and trip order. A mixed-effects logistic regression model with subject specific random intercept was used to assess the relationship of the outcome with the key variables of interest.Results: The analysis included 2,344 UAE nationals who had at least one trip following the initial medical visit. Oncology was the most common medical specialties sought by patients who travelled for repeated visits (18%). Patients in the age group 13-18 years had the highest odds of subsequent visits matching the medical specialty at the initial trip relative among age groups (OR 1.93, 95% CI:1.351,2.757). Patients travelling for oncology, orthopedic surgery, neurosurgery, ophthalmology, obstetrics/gynecology and otolaryngology had higher odds of subsequent trips matching the specialty of initial trips. The odds of subsequent trips matching the medical specialty of the initial trip increased with each additional trip (OR 1.73, 95%CI: 1.533,1.94).Conclusions: This is the first longitudinal study that examines the repeated medical trips among UAE nationals supported by the DHA. The results demonstrated that age group, medical specialty sought at the time of the initial trip, and number of trips were significant factors for understanding the match of the medical specialty between the initial and subsequent trips. The study results may help the DHA to establish an overseas treatment registry to collect information about patients seeking medical treatment overseas. In addition, the study will support establishing follow-up care programs to improve patients’ outcome and the clinical care for those patients.