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6: Perspectives of Culture and Chronic Disease in the United Arab Emirates

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instructor material

DOI:

10.1891/9780826172112.0006

Authors

  • Cooper, Jennifer
  • Brownie, Sharon

Abstract

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is a rapidly developing country comprised of a multinational population with varying educational backgrounds, cultural practices, and religious beliefs. Impacted by social, social and environmental factors, the built environment and contemporary lifestyles pose major public health challenges to this modern Arab and expatriate world with noncommunicable (NCD) and chronic disease an increasing concern. The UAE has experienced and continues to experience rapid changes in economic development, and urbanization with significant impact on lifestyle behaviors and culture. These lifestyle changes have seen an increase in NCDs such as cardiovascular disease, cancers, respiratory disease, and type 2 diabetes. Risk factors for these diseases such as tobacco use, physical inactivity, and an unhealthy diet have also increased and led to a rise in obesity and hypertension within the UAE and the wider Arabian Gulf Region.