UAE National Health Survey Shows Gains in Obesity and Smoking but Rises in Cholesterol and Blood Sugar
Overview
The Ministry of Health and Prevention released the National Health Survey 2024–2025, which interviewed 9,997 households and compared results with the 2017–2018 round. The study notes improvements across several major health indicators while flagging ongoing worries about cardiovascular risk factors, high salt intake and low uptake of cancer screening.
Risk Factors and Lifestyle
Obesity fell from 27.8 percent to 22.4 percent, a 5.4‑point drop, while the share of adults classified as overweight stood at 66.7 percent; excess weight is more common among men, obesity more prevalent among women, and both rise with age, peaking at 45 years and older. Smoking prevalence edged down from 9.1 percent to 8.7 percent, with men at 13.7 percent and women at 2.4 percent; the highest rate appears in the 18‑29 age group at 9.8 percent, the median age of initiation is 21 years, and some users start as young as eight. Manufactured cigarettes represent 66.5 percent of tobacco used by daily smokers, electronic cigarettes 13.7 percent and medwakh 13.6 percent, signalling a need to adjust tobacco‑control policies. High blood pressure declined from 28.8 percent to 25.9 percent, yet 16 percent of adults have never had a blood pressure check; among those previously diagnosed with hypertension, 94.9 percent reported taking medication in the two weeks before the survey. High cholesterol rose sharply from 43.7 percent to 54.2 percent, with 28.7 percent showing elevated triglycerides and average total cholesterol climbing from 182.3 to 190.6 mg/dL; the condition grows more common with age, 82.4 percent of previously diagnosed adults took their prescribed medication in the prior two weeks, but 23 percent have never undergone a cholesterol test. Elevated fasting blood glucose increased from 11.8 percent to 12.5 percent, while impaired fasting glucose dropped from 11.7 percent to 5.9 percent; 18.3 percent of adults have never had a blood sugar test, and 90.4 percent of those diagnosed with diabetes reported taking medication in the previous two weeks. The proportion of adults with three or more major risk factors fell from 52.5 percent to 44.5 percent. Physical inactivity decreased from 70.8 percent to 59.1 percent, allowing the UAE to meet its 2030 activity target ahead of schedule; however, insufficient activity remains more widespread among women (68.7 percent) than men (51.5 percent), with rates of 67.6 percent among Emiratis and 54.4 percent among non‑Emiratis. Respondents said greater access to public parks, dedicated exercise time during work hours and gyms nearer to homes would encourage more activity. Salt consumption averages 10 grams per day, double the World Health Organisation limit; 29.2 percent add salt or salty sauces while eating and 39.8 percent use them during cooking, a habit recognised as a risk factor for hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
Screening, Healthcare and Wellbeing
Self‑reported disease prevalence includes cardiovascular conditions at 1.1 percent, chronic lung diseases at 1.1 percent, arthritis at 3.1 percent, cataracts at 0.7 percent and stroke at 0.1 percent. Eye‑health symptoms were noted by 4 percent experiencing blurred vision and 3.6 percent reporting light sensitivity, while 31 percent have never had an eye examination by a specialist. Cancer screening shows gaps: only 36.4 percent of women aged 40 and above have ever had a mammogram, with lack of awareness cited by 51 percent and fear of diagnosis as the next barrier; cervical screening among women aged 30‑49 rose from 14.6 percent to 24.4 percent; colorectal testing remains low, with just 5.6 percent of adults 40 years and older ever screened, 9.6 percent among Emiratis and 2.8 percent among non‑Emiratis, mainly due to limited awareness and the belief that screening is needed only after symptoms appear. Depression symptoms were reported by 0.4 percent of adults in the past year, more often among women; of those, 17.5 percent took medication and 20 percent received psychological counselling, pointing to low rates of professional help‑seeking. Mobility data reveal that 90.8 percent experience no difficulty with routine activities and 88.7 percent report no problems with strenuous effort; among those aged 60 and above, between 30 and 40 percent face challenges with daily tasks such as walking and climbing stairs. Satisfaction with health, relationships and living conditions exceeds 96 percent, while 41.9 percent say they feel completely financially secure. Healthcare access is strong: 96.6 percent of adults can obtain care when needed, patient satisfaction stands at 97.5 percent for inpatient services and 98.6 percent for outpatient care; 3.9 percent spent at least one night in hospital in the preceding year, rising to 6.9 percent among the over‑60s. Average travel time is 27.8 minutes for inpatient visits and 24.2 minutes for outpatient care, with private hospitals accounting for 67.8 percent of outpatient attendances and government hospitals 31.9 percent. The Ministry of Health and Prevention concludes that measurable progress has been made in reducing obesity, smoking, hypertension and insufficient physical activity, but rising cholesterol levels, excessive salt consumption and low participation in cancer screening continue to pose challenges, urging the use of survey findings to refresh national health strategies, bolster prevention and early detection, and cut the risk factors linked to non‑communicable diseases.
