UAE's first health index launched

For the first time in the UAE and the Gulf, a Health Index has been launched in order to benchmark the healthcare situation in the country.

The first edition of NMC Health Index was launched on Tuesday by BR Shetty, Abu Dhabi-based NMC Group’s Founder and CEO.

In the first results announced during the launch of the index, the average health score for the UAE is 65, with 100 being the healthiest possible.

The index delves into the health score by specific nationalities, with residents from the Indian sub-continent scoring the most (69), followed by Emirati nationals (68). However, Arab expats are the least healthy according to the index, scoring just 60. For the Filipino community, the index is 64 and for others it is 63.

The index will be updated dynamic annually after conducting detailed surveys and interviews of a cross-section of the UAE population.

Launching the first NMC Health Index, Shetty said that while there are indices for stock markets, wealth, property, financial markets and commodities, there is no such benchmark index available in the UAE to indicate the general state of people’s health. NMC Group therefore joined hands with Brunswick Insight for the index.

Among the findings of the survey, more than one-third of the UAE’s population exercises less than once a week, one in five smoke tobacco, and one in ten consume liquor. Only half of the UAE’s population, according to the sample survey, get recommended daily sleep of seven to eight hours per day.

Six per cent smoked more than 200 cigarettes per week while 25 per cent smoke one to 25 cigarettes per week. While 21 per cent smoke cigarettes, 11 per cent smoke Sheesha. The food habits also indicate high (82 per cent) intake of sugary carbonated drinks and low intake of fruits and vegetables.

The overall health index has been structured to measure health holistically and comprises 3 sub-indices, namely physical, social and emotional health of the individual.

The NMC Health Index intends to measure both wellness and sense of well-being among people of all ages in the country, and to better understand health concerns of the population. The survey, carried out by Brunswick Insight, covered over 1,000 people of all ages and nationalities living in the UAE and measured their perceptions about their health and well-being against their actual lifestyles and behaviours. The findings show that many UAE residents believe they are healthier than their lifestyles would indicate. 

A major finding of the survey is that the community suffers from low emotional health, with many respondents feeling stressed due to lack of proper rest, worries about job, anxiety and sleep. While 6 per cent are not at all stressed, 30 per cent are stressed a little, 50 per cent are fairly stressed, and 14 per cent are overly stressed.

Standardised on a 0-100 scale, with 100 representing the ideal health score, the survey showed that 35 per cent of the population exercises less than once per week, and one in five smokes tobacco (of whom a quarter smoke around a pack a day). It also demonstrates that more than half have a BMI (Body mass index) score in the overweight or obese.

Half of those questioned made less than 5 hours a week available for leisure activities, and around half admitted to getting the recommended 7-8 hours’ sleep per night. Respondents indicated that only one in 16 eat 5 or more portions of fruit and vegetables every day, and 82 per cent drink sugary or carbonated drinks every week. Seven per cent of the population is underweight, from their BMI index according to the survey, while 38 per cent are overweight and 18 per cent are obese.

The survey also highlights the fact that over three quarters of those questioned considered the UAE healthcare system better than in other countries, though over half still said that they would want to travel abroad for a planned operation.

Shetty said: “These findings will surprise many people. UAE residents generally perceive themselves to be healthier than they actually are. Even though, as we would expect, most respondents said that having a healthy and active lifestyle was important to them, these results show there is a lot that can be done to improve actual wellness and well-being of UAE residents.”
 

Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.