Table 1. Sociodemographic characteristics of participants (n = 1482).
| Variable | n (%) |
|---|---|
| Sex | |
| Females | 942 (63.6) |
| Males | 540 (36.4) |
| Nationality a | |
| GCC countries | 375 (25.3) |
| Levant | 597 (40.3) |
| North Africa | 322 (21.7) |
| Asia | 117 (7.9) |
| Europe | 10 (0.7) |
| Other | 61 (4.0) |
| Emirate of residence | |
| Abu Dhabi | 354 (23.9) |
| Dubai | 552 (37.2) |
| Sharjah | 402 (27.1) |
| Northern Emirates | 174 (11.8) |
| BMI categories | |
| Underweight (<18.5 kg/cm2) | 86 (5.8) |
| Normal weight (18.5–24.9 kg/cm2) | 708 (47.8) |
| Overweight (25–29.9 kg/cm2) | 432 (29.1) |
| Obese (≥ 30 kg/cm2) | 256 (17.3) |
| Educational level | |
| High school or less | 283 (19.1) |
| Diploma / University Education | 1028 (69.4) |
| Higher education (Masters, Ph.D.) | 171 (11.5) |
| History of chronic disease | |
| Yes | 182 (12.3) |
| No | 1300 (87.7) |
Values represent frequencies and percentages [n, (%)]
a (GCC: Gulf Cooperative Council, UAE, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia). Levant area (Lebanon, Jordan, Syria, Palestine).