@article{6db26523352a4653b9f0ad62f164ef53,
title = "Results from the United Arab Emirates 2022 report card on physical activity for children and adolescents",
abstract = "Objective: The United Arab Emirates (UAE) 2022 Report Card provides a systematic evaluation of the physical activity (PA) levels of children and adolescents in the UAE. Methods: The 2022 Report Card utilized data from 2017 to 2021 to inform 10 core PA indicators that were common to the Global Matrix 4.0. Results: One in five (19%) UAE school children achieved the recommended amount of moderate-to-vigorous PA (i.e. ≥60 min/d; Total Physical Activity Grade F). Less than 1% of school children used active transport to and from school (Active Transportation Grade F). One in four (26%) secondary school children achieved the recreational screen time recommendations (i.e. ≤2 h/d; Sedentary Behaviours Grade D-). A quarter of adults reported achieving the recommended PA level (i.e. ≥150 min of moderate-intensity PA per week, or equivalent) (Family and Peers Grade D-). All school children are taught physical education (PE) by a specialist with at least a bachelor's degree in PE; however, the duration of weekly PE classes varied between schools (School Grade A-). The UAE Government has invested significant funds and resources into developing and implementing strategies and facilities that will increase PA across the entire population (Government Grade B+). Organised Sport and Physical Activity, Active Play, Physical Fitness, and Community and Environment indicators were graded {\textquoteleft}Incomplete{\textquoteright} (INC) due to a lack of available data. Conclusions: Overall, PA levels remain low and sedentary behaviours remain high amongst UAE children and adolescents. The UAE Government has sustained investment in further developing PA opportunities for all children and adults which should translate to increased PA and health improvements at a population level.",
keywords = "Adolescent, Environment design, Motor activity, Sedentary lifestyle, Social environment, Youth sports",
author = "Alrahma, {Ali Muneer} and {Al Suwaidi}, Hanan and Reem AlGurg and Zeina Farah and Hamda Khansaheb and Rahma Ajja and Mouza Alzaabi and {Al Hamiz}, Aisha and Abdulla Aljunaibi and Abdishakur Abdulle and {Al Dhaheri}, Aysha and Shah, {Syed Mahboob} and Javaid Nauman and Tom Loney",
note = "Funding Information: This is the first UAE report card to include accelerometer-derived estimates of PA which most likely provided a more accurate, reliable, and valid estimate of PA. However, the objective PA data was from one cross-sectional study using a convenient sample of private school children (grades 4–7) in the emirate of Abu Dhabi which might not reflect all children and adolescents in public and private schools across the UAE. Moreover, one of the major limitations is the lack of data disaggregated by sub-group to explore the differences in PA by age, sex, nationality (UAE nationals versus expatriates), socioeconomic status, and geographic location (e.g., emirate, rural vs. urban). Only six of the 10 indicators were assigned a grade and this highlights the research gaps in the UAE, particularly a lack of periodic PA surveillance and objectively-assessed estimates of free-living PA and sport participation in both children and their parents. The UAE participated in the 2005, 2010, and 2016 World Health Organisation Global School-Based Student Health Survey that provided representative self-reported PA data for school children and adolescents across the seven emirates of the UAE and this data informed the 2016 and 2018 UAE report cards. Clearly, there is a need for nationally-representative research studies collecting accelerometer-derived objective estimates of PA amongst both pre-school and school-aged children and their parents. Accordingly, the UAE is participating in a Canadian Institute of Health Research grant-funded project to develop and validate the Global Adolescent and Child Physical Activity Questionnaire in a study implemented in 14 countries across six continents. Study findings will fill the gaps in the PA research literature in the UAE and provide important data on the levels of PA amongst sub-groups of children and adolescents.28 The harmonised methodology and cross-cultural instrument will permit direct comparisons of PA levels amongst children and adolescents in the 14 countries across six continents.28 Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 The Society of Chinese Scholars on Exercise Physiology and Fitness",
year = "2023",
month = apr,
doi = "10.1016/j.jesf.2023.02.002",
language = "English (US)",
volume = "21",
pages = "218--225",
journal = "Journal of Exercise Science and Fitness",
issn = "1728-869X",
publisher = "Elsevier",
number = "2",
}