Prioritising climate change actions post COVID-19 amongst university students, a Q methodology perspective in the United Arab Emirates

The COVID-19 pandemic caused strict regulations to lower transmission rates. Industries were shut down, people were in lockdown, and travel was curtailed. Restrictions were in effect for an enough period for people's behaviour to change. For example, online meetings rather than needing to travel. This opens the possibility for alterations to the perception that it is possible to commit to effective climate change actions. A Q methodology study was conducted to analyse how 33 university environmental students across the United Arab Emirates perceive the importance of prioritising climate change actions post-pandemic. Statistical analysis yielded four discourses. The first emphasises the need to learn lessons about climate sustainability and sustain them post-pandemic. The second, more pessimistic but advocates preventing a return to pre-pandemic norms by implementing post-pandemic climate change regulations. The third expects economic recovery to take priority over reducing emissions. The fourth raises opportunities and challenges for environmental sustainability post-COVID-19.

Disruption or interruption to Schools during Covid-19 in the United Arab Emirates: A Rapid Review of Impact and Mitigation Efforts

This study explored the level of readiness of schools in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to use remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. To safeguard students and ensure the continuity of education, the UAE's education system implemented online learning to address extended school closures and sudden changes in normal school operations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, schools were forced to quickly adapt to online instruction despite its challenges during lockdowns and isolation. Furthermore, the study provided insight into the theoretical underpinnings of the UAE's massive implementation of distance learning in schools. Moreover, various distance learning programs were implemented by schools to facilitate students' and instructors' education across schools. The findings of this study may be used to strengthen educational systems and accelerate educational opportunities by providing evidence for better orienting and adapting policy responses in emergencies in the UAE. © 2023 Otjivanda Presse.Essen. All rights reserved.

High-tech Nationalization of Gulf Employment: A New Labor Market Approach in the United Arab Emirates

Gulf economic development is increasingly taking place across digital spheres and being driven by actors with advanced technological skill sets. Gulf Arab governments like the United Arab Emirates aim to encourage technology-driven economic growth and innovation. Spurring recession-resistant growth is especially desirable in the aftermath of the coronavirus-induced economic downturn of 2020–2021. Regional policymakers want to position national citizens at the forefront of this technology-oriented economic development, and consequently they have pursued traditional workforce nationalization policies to ensure the continued participation of citizenry in the region's labor markets. Using the UAE as a case study, this work explores the prospects for better aligning direct labor market interventions with economic growth and development strategies. An Emiratization policy approach focused on digital and technology-oriented skills is raised as an alternative policy option, subjected to critical evaluation, and considered alongside an initial set of recommendations for harmonizing labor market demands with future-oriented growth. © 2023, Gulf Research Centre Cambridge.

Social Contacts and Compliance with SARS-CoV-2 Distancing Measures in the First Lockdown 2020 among Refugees from Syria and Afghanistan in Vienna

The article deals with the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and related measures on the social interactions of refugees from Afghanistan and Syria in Vienna during the first lockdown in March/April 2020. The focus is on the challenges for these vulnerable groups in the field of tension between the contact minimisation prescribed in the Corona regulations of the federal government on the one hand and cramped housing conditions, precarious labour market positions, homeschooling and the "digital divide” on the other. Further focal points are how refugees deal with the measures of "social/physical distancing”, its consequences in view of the colliding cultural norms, the extent of contact reduction and its causal factors. The empirical basis was provided by a quantitative online survey and qualitative interviews with refugees as well as experts from refugee support NGOs and organisations from both groups of origin, who were involved in the underlying project within the framework of a community-based participatory approach. Contrasting with the criticism sometimes voiced in the media that primarily certain groups with a migration background have been less compliant with the measures to contain the pandemic, a more differentiated picture is drawn. Above all, the factors of family status, age and housing conditions have had a strong influence on compliance with the distancing measures. The inaccessibility of public space, which is a particularly important resource for the refugees, as well as the discontinuation of social services offered by NGOs have particularly affected these vulnerable groups. © 2022 Austrian Geographical Society. All rights reserved.

Middle East and North African Health Informatics Association (MENAHIA)

The region of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is diverse and retains a superior growth potential. It benefits from a privileged geographical location with big markets, a young and growing educated population, and competitive advantages in several industries. Regardless of their differences, countries face shared concerns, most notably in health. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, MENA countries enact reforms to create a more robust and inclusive digital health systems to increase growth, development, and integrity. Throughout the coordinated containment and mitigation efforts, most of the countries have integrated digital technologies into the health systems. These procedures include digital government initiatives, the introduction of digital health training courses, live video surgeries and virtual patient monitoring, rural and remote telemedicine programs, and the development of a national electronic health records (EHR) system. Each country took necessary actions to address equity, literacy, and development of resilient health systems. The nine featured countries in this report illustrate the diversity among the MENA region and account for major opportunities and achievements as well as promises and challenges that digital health presents for its populations. © 2022 IMIA and Georg Thieme Verlag KG.

Self-Reported Cognitive Aging and Well-Being among Older Middle Eastern/Arab American Immigrants during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND: The COVID-19 pandemic posed new challenges for cognitive aging since it brought interruptions in family relations for older adults in immigrant communities. This study examines the consequences of COVID-19 for the familial and social support systems of aging Middle Eastern/Arab immigrants in Michigan, the largest concentration in the United States. We conducted six focus groups with 45 participants aged 60 and older to explore participant descriptions of changes and difficulties faced during the pandemic relating to their cognitive health, familial and social support systems, and medical care. The findings indicate challenges around social distancing for older Middle Eastern/Arab American immigrants, which generated three overarching themes: fear, mental health, and social relationships. These themes provide unique insights into the lived experiences of older Middle Eastern/Arab American adults during the pandemic and bring to light culturally embedded risks to cognitive health and well-being. A focus on the well-being of older Middle Eastern/Arab American immigrants during COVID-19 advances understanding of how environmental contexts inform immigrant health disparities and the sociocultural factors that shape minority aging.

Parents' Perceptions of Changes in Sleep Duration, Physical Activity, and Sedentary Behavior in Arab Israeli Children during the COVID-19 Outbreak.

The COVID-19 pandemic led many countries to apply lockdown measures that could prevent children from achieving the physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep levels suggested for their psychophysical health. The current study tested changes in physical activity, sedentary behavior, and sleep length of children and the incidence of achieving the 24 h movement standards through the limitations of COVID-19. A total of 490 Arab Israeli parents were surveyed. An electronic cross-sectional survey was performed, including questions addressing engagement in physical activities, use of screens, and sleep duration. Throughout the COVID-19 outbreak, time spent participating in physical activity was reduced, sedentary behavior and sleep duration were increased, and the percentage of the sample who met the physical activity and sedentary behavior suggestions lessened. The percentage of participants who attained the overall 24 h movement recommendations was very low during the pandemic; school children met the guideline recommendations for physical activity and sleep duration more than preschool children, and girls spent more time in physical activity. These findings highlight the need for strategies to enhance physical activity and decrease sedentary behavior in children to prevent long-term effects of limitations imposed by COVID-19. Efforts to perceive and encourage healthy routines in Arab Israeli children in the case of pandemic limitations are expected to serve as a precedence.

Self-immolation in the Arab world: A systematic review.

Self-immolation is the act of setting fire to oneself. Recent spikes in self-immolation events have been noticed in the Arab world, specifically in the aftermath of the Arab Spring in 2011. We aimed to examine the literature assessing the characteristics and patterns of suicide by self-immolation in the Arab world. We registered our systematic review in Prospero. We searched PubMed, Medline, PsycInfo, Embase, and Scopus databases from inception until 9 July 2022, along with other sources, following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines. We collected relevant articles tackling suicide by self-immolation in the Arab world via title and abstract screening followed by full-text screening. We then conducted a narrative synthesis of the results. Out of 326 records from databases and 17 additional records identified through other sources, 31 articles (27 quantitative and 4 qualitative) were included. The studies came from Iraq (n = 16), Tunisia (n = 6), Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (n = 3), Jordan (n = 2), Libya (n = 2), Bahrain (n = 1), and Egypt (n = 1). The quantitative studies had a sample size ranging from 22 to 600 self-inflicted burn victims. Studies showed that self-immolators were mostly married women with low educational level and low socioeconomic status. Self-immolation was more likely to happen at home, usually following marital conflicts. Kerosene was the accelerant used the most. Depression was the most comorbid mental health diagnosis. Studies highlighted that self-immolation was being increasignly used as a form of protest. Self-immolation is not uncommon in the Arab world. Specific interventions directed at the population at risk are warranted.

Coping with the Burden of Care through Effective Management of Stress: A Study among Nurses in Selected COVID-19 Isolation Hospitals in the United Arab Emirates

The burden of providing care to patients during the COVID-19 pandemic escalated stress among nurses, which affected their mental health, and called for effective coping. The goal of this study was to correlate the burden of caregiving with the management of stress by nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates. We conducted this cross-sectional correlational study among the nurses in two hospitals in the United Arab Emirates. A nonprobability voluntary sample (n = 64) was taken of nurses working in the intensive care unit (n = 41) and isolation wards (n = 24). The respondents completed two questionnaires via Google Forms, namely, the Professional Care Team Burden Scale and the 15-item Stress Management Inventory. The findings indicate that the nurses reported moderate (37.5%) to low ( 62.5%) levels of the burden associated with caregiving. There was a significant inverse correlation between the burden of care and three elements of the stress management inventory, namely developing resiliency (r = -.284, p =.023), short-term coping (r = - 313, p =.012), and effective delegation (r = -.395, p =.001). However, there was no correlation between the burden of care and eliminating stressor elements. The findings suggest that when nurses increased their resilience, short-term coping strategies and effective delegation they tended to experience less burden of caregiving during the COVID-19 pandemic. We therefore recommend that health policymakers focus on supporting resilience, short-term coping strategies and effective delegation in the nursing work environment to reduce the burden of caregiving.

Perspectives and practices of dietitians with regards to social/mass media use during the transitions from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19: A cross-sectional survey in 10 Arab countries.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, most healthcare professionals switched from face-to-face clinical encounters to telehealth. This study sought to investigate the dietitians' perceptions and practices toward the use of social/mass media platforms amid the transition from face-to-face to telenutrition in the time of COVID-19. This cross-sectional study involving a convenient sample of 2,542 dietitians (mean age = 31.7 ± 9.5; females: 88.2%) was launched in 10 Arab countries between November 2020 and January 2021. Data were collected using an online self-administrated questionnaire. Study findings showed that dietitians' reliance on telenutrition increased by 11% during the pandemic, p = 0.001. Furthermore, 63.0% of them reported adopting telenutrition to cover consultation activities. Instagram was the platform that was most frequently used by 51.7% of dietitians. Dietitians shouldered new difficulties in dispelling nutrition myths during the pandemic (58.2% reported doing so vs. 51.4% pre-pandemic, p < 0.001). Compared to the pre-pandemic period, more dietitians perceived the importance of adopting tele nutrition's clinical and non-clinical services (86.9% vs. 68.0%, p = 0.001), with 76.6% being confident in this practice. In addition, 90.0% of the participants received no support from their work facilities for social media usage. Following the COVID-19 outbreak, the majority of dietitians (80.0%) observed a rise in public interest in nutrition-related topics, particularly those pertaining to healthy eating habits (p = 0.001), healthy recipes (p = 0.001), nutrition and immunity (p = 0.001), and medical nutrition therapies (p = 0.012). Time constraint was the most prevalent barrier to offering telenutrition for nutrition care (32.1%), whereas leveraging a quick and easy information exchange was the most rewarding benefit for 69.3% of the dietitians. In conclusion, to ensure a consistent provision of nutrition care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, dietitians working in Arab countries adopted alternative telenutrition approaches through social/mass media.

Applications of the One Health concept: Current status in the Middle East

Background: The One Health concept (OHC) seeks to improve the health of plants, animals, and humans because improving animal and plant health will increase the capacity for improving human health. Many risks such as plant and animal biotechnology applications have the potential to generate new diseases that can be transmitted to humans. In this way, the health of humans, animals, and plants is interrelated and depends on one another. However, it has been difficult to apply the OHC in some countries, such as those in the Middle East. The absence of financial support in the region is a major hindrance to applying this concept in the region. The application of the OHC requires the support of specialists who can advocate the government for support in launching OHC-related projects. Here, we discuss the OHC in the context of antimicrobial resistance, zoonotic diseases, and biosafety/biosecurity, which are important public health issues. Furthermore, we describe the current status of the OHC in the Middle East and recent research conducted related to this concept. There has been recent international solidarity in the application of the OHC to reduce risks that threaten the health of organisms. Several countries jointly launched the Global Health Security Agenda in 2014 with the aim of realizing a world that is free of infectious disease-related health risks. However, no previous review articles have examined the applications of the OHC in the Middle East region. This article discusses the OHC in terms of its needs and current applications in the Middle East. Methodology: The following keywords were used in the search: "One Health," "Middle East," "medicinal plants," "viruses," "rabies," "MERS," and "antimicrobial resistance." Related papers were obtained by searching for these keywords using available search engines, such as PubMed, Google Scholar, and Google search, as well as international organization websites. Conclusion(s): The concept of One Health is relatively new and has not been applied in most countries, possibly because the value of this concept for improving human health is not well understood. The key principle defining this concept and its importance is the interdependency of plants, animals, and human health. By applying the OHC, humans can benefit from healthy plants and animals by enhancing their growing conditions, medications, and environments. This would in turn improve general human health by allowing the safe extraction of therapeutics and food resources.Copyright © 2023

How Do Arab and Moslem Countries and Communities Act in Dealing with the Impacts of the COVID-19 Pandemic?

The global spread of COVID-19 and the uncertainty of finding an immediate cure for such an invisible and ubiquitous pandemic have triggered many believers of the Islamic faith and their respective Arab and Moslem governments and religious institutions to act quickly to initiate hands-on efforts to deal with the crisis. They have grounded their work on several centuries of medical tradition and body-health wisdom emanating from the Quran and the Prophet Mohammad's Peace upon Him sayings and deeds in respect to how to grapple with such unexpected human crises. This paper seeks to highlight the intertwining between traditional norms and religious belief on one hand, and modern-day practices and strategies for dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic on the other. The focus is centered on Arab and Moslem countries. Although Islamic and Arab areas are considered among the most culturally and territorially cohesive places on earth, they have not necessarily pursued a unified strategy in confronting the pandemic. Furthermore, Moslem/Arab communities have extended far beyond the core Arab/Moslem localities. They have migrated over centuries to all continents, making their homes in new places, while still adhering to their ancestral traditions and faith in developing effective practices for confronting a health crisis like the viral pandemic. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.

Bringing health information exchange to the Middle East and North Africa: the case of Malaffi in Abu Dhabi

Launched in 2019, Malaffi is the first health information exchange (HIE) platform in the Middle East and North Africa region. It safely and securely connects public and private healthcare providers in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Malaffi allows for meaningful, real-time exchange of patient health information between the providers, establishing a centralized database of unified patient records, thus improving healthcare quality and patient outcomes. Now that the foundation has been firmly established by collating 99% of all patient episodes in the Emirate, Malaffi is implementing tools to support population health. Recently these activities were focused on COVID-19 response. In the future, these population health services will offer insights to improve care delivery. This case study demonstrates the HIE status in the UAE and focuses on the establishment of Malaffi in Abu Dhabi. © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medium-to Long-Term Socioeconomic Impact of Covid-19 in Arab Countries, 2022

COVID-19 pandemic is impacting institutions around the world. Its scope and economic dimensions pinpoint that it poses a major threat to achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The main objective of thisresearch is to discuss how the coronavirus pandemic may influence the SDGsand affect their implementation. The methods used entail an analysis of lite rature, observations and an assessment of current world trends and applied UNDP method to Arab countries. Methodology/approach—the motivation behind this research is to assess the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. Todo so, as a first step, we conduct an initial factual analysis to identify the pat-terns of how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the SDGs and has emphasized the interconnectedness of the SDGs. This target is achieved by con-ducting the methodology of the United Nations Development Program, withthe aid of Pardee Center at the University of Denver by using the impact of three different scenarios of COVID-19 on the Sustainable Development Goals,while capturing the multidimensional impacts of the pandemic over the coming decades. The main finding of this research is showing how governmentscan make choices today that have the greatest potential to advance progress inthe future, within planetary boundaries. This type of analysis can enable governments to turn COVID-19 from a short-term crisis into an opportunity to shift to sustainable development in the long term. © 2023 NSP Natural Sciences Publishing Cor.

Dietary supplements' knowledge, attitude and consumption pattern among United Arab Emirates population

PurposeTo study the consumption pattern, attitude and knowledge of the general population about dietary supplements (DS) in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).Design/methodology/approachA community-based cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data on knowledge, attitude and consumption pattern related to the use of DS. Participants aged = 18 years were asked to complete a self-administered online questionnaire that included demographic characteristics, health and lifestyle information, consumption patterns, attitudes and knowledge levels regarding the use of DS.FindingsA total of 207 individuals participated in the study, and 117 (56.5%) participants reported using DS products as influenced by the pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), of which 63 (53.8%) participants had been using DS for more than one month but less than one year. The majority of the participants was females (64.7%), non-UAE nationals (60.9%) and employed (51.7%). Multivitamins (77.8%) were the most commonly used DS. Use of DS was more prevalent among older participants (n = 78 (61.9%), p = 0.006), non-UAE nationals (n = 79 (62.7%), p = 0.025) and employed (n = 69 (64.5%), p = 0.023). Improving general health (76.1%) and immune booster (47%) were the most frequently identified reasons for using DS, which is relatable to the COVID-19 pandemic. The majority of study participants (72.12%) reported knowing relatively little about the use of DS. About 154 participants (74.4%) did not know that DS products do not treat diseases.Research limitations/implicationsFurther studies with a larger sample size need to be conducted to examine the association between gender or chronic disease and the consumption and type of DS products used to fill the gap in the literature and overcome the limitations identified in this study.Originality/valueThis study highlights the need for community education programs and strategies that can raise awareness of the health benefits and risks of using DS. Further studies with a larger sample size need to be conducted to examine the association between gender or chronic disease and the consumption and type of DS products used to fill the gap in the literature and overcome the limitations identified in this study.

Willingness-to-pay for robot-delivered tourism and hospitality services-An exploratory study

Purpose: This paper aims to investigate potential consumers' willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality, and the factors that shape their willingness to pay. Design/methodology/approach: An online survey yielded a sample of 1,573 respondents from 99 countries. Independent samples t-test, Analysis of variance (ANOVA), cluster, factor and regression analyses were used. Findings: Respondents expected to pay less for robot-delivered services than human-delivered services. Two clusters were identified: one cluster willing to pay nearly the same price for robotic services as for human-delivered services, whilst the other expected deep discounts for robotic services. The willingness-to-pay was positively associated with the attitudes towards robots in tourism, robotic service experience expectations, men and household size. It was negatively associated to travel frequency, age and education. Research limitations/implications: The paper's main limitation is its exploratory nature and the use of a hypothetical scenario in measuring respondents' willingness to pay. The data were gathered prior to the COVID-19 pandemic and do not reflect the potential changes in perceptions of robots due to the pandemic. Practical implications: Practitioners need to focus on improving the attitudes towards robots in tourism because they are strongly and positively related to the willingness to pay. The marketing messages need to form positive expectations about robotic services. Originality/value: This is one of the first papers to investigate consumers' willingness to pay for robot-delivered services in travel, tourism and hospitality and factors that shape their willingness to pay. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)

A case series on upper GI bleeding among patients admitted with COVID-19 infection

Background: Patients with COVID-19 infection are liable to develop coagulopathies and bleeding. An increase in the use of anticoagulants among this group of patients may be associated with an increase in the risk of developing GI bleeding. We aimed to evaluate the endoscopic characteristics of patients with COVID-19 that developed a GI bleed. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients admitted to Rashid hospital with Upper GI bleeding, and COVID was done. We collected details on patient demographics, comorbid conditions, the severity of COVID infection, use of antiplatelet/anticoagulants, and their endoscopic findings. Results: 14 cases of Upper GI bleeding were included, half of which were on antiplatelet/anticoagulant. Endoscopic findings included peptic ulcer disease, Mallory Weis, gastritis, dieulafouy lesion, esophageal varices, and small gastric erosions. Peptic ulcer disease was the most common finding on endoscopy. Conclusion: Coagulopathy and bleeding risk remains a challenge in patients with COVID-19. Although peptic ulcer disease was the commonest etiology, it is still unclear whether the risk of bleeding was secondary to COVID-19 infection itself or the use of anticoagulants. We recommend physicians to be cognizant of the possible endoscopic features that may be encountered in COVID-19 infected patients presenting with GI bleeding so as to provide optimal management.

The Racial and Socioeconomic Characteristics of a Cohort of Men Using at-Home Fertility Tests in the United States

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Infertility is a global health concern that affects couples worldwide. Economic, racial, and geographic disparities in reproductive medicine have long affected access to fertility care. These inequalities further worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic as fertility care services were systematically paused and treatments were delayed. At-home fertility tests emerged as a seemingly convenient, affordable and accessible option for all men seeking initial semen analysis testing and screening. We aim to study the racial and socioeconomic characteristics of a cohort of men utilizing at-home sperm testing kits in the United States over 3 years. METHOD(S): We retrospectively reviewed the records of 5,822 men who requested semen analysis at Give Legacy, Inc. (Legacy) facilities from 2019 to 2021. The demographic characteristics of these men were collected including their age, race/ethnicity, and place of residence. Further, the weighted median household income of Legacy customers was calculated using their personal ZIP codes and corresponding median income data from the U.S. census bureau. RESULT(S): The mean age (SD) of this cohort was 34.9+/-7.3 years. Among these 5,822 men, there were 3,936 (67.6%) normozoospermic men and 1,886 (32.3%) oligozoospermic men. The group consisted of predominantly white men (64.9%) with only 5.2% Black, 5.4% Latino, 8.9% Asian, 3.1% Arab, 2% Native Hawaiian, 2.4% Indian American, and 8.2% other groups. The geographic distribution of participants showed a majority of men from the Northeast (31.6%) and Pacific (23.4%) regions. The median household income of a Legacy customer is $108,858;significantly higher than the U.S. median household income of $70,784 (P<.01). CONCLUSION(S): Despite the fact that at-home, mail-in kits provide a better and more affordable access to initial fertility care, ethnic minorities and lower socioeconomic classes are still underrepresented in the population of men seeking fertility testing in this cohort. Further research is needed to understand the racial and socioeconomic drivers of the existing disparities in fertility care.

Digital marketing strategies in COVID-19: A focus on tourism recovery

PurposeThis paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies.Design/methodology/approachThis briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.FindingsAdopting digital technologies and digital marketing innovations has led to redesigned business models able to adapt further and retain consumers.Originality/valueThe briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Weight Change Among Adults in the UAE.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic which started in November 2019 and since then has led to multiple lockdowns aimed towards controlling the pandemic, these lockdowns contributed to major changes in individuals' lifestyles including eating patterns and restriction of physical activity due to continues house confinement. Such changes have significantly contributed to weight change, with increasing rates of obesity in the UAE, COVID-19 have posed a major concern to the country's obesity levels. Aim: To measure the prevalence and investigate the views related to weight change among adults in the UAE during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted through a self-administered online questionnaire distributed using social media platforms between February 15th and March 14th, 2021. The sample size was 439 adults in the UAE (18-59 years), collected by volunteer sampling. Analysis was done using SPSS with a significance of 5.0%. Exclusion criteria included pregnancy and bariatric surgeries history. Results: 51.1% of participants gained weight, 36.2% lost weight and 12.7% maintained their weight. Meal consumption frequency and weight gain were correlated. Consuming fast food resulted in 65.7% of participants gaining weight. 66.2% of people who lost weight during the COVID-19 pandemic did exercise. Stress management and sleeping patterns were not contributing factors to the weight change. 64.4% of the participants who were not satisfied with their weight and believed that they need to make changes in their lifestyle received no guidance from professional personnel to reach their desired weight. Conclusion: In this study, the majority of participants have witnessed an increase in weight. UAE health authorities must provide guidance and support to the population via structured nutritional programs and lifestyle awareness campaigns.