How the COVID-19 Pandemic Changed Childhood Obesity Patterns in Hatta, UAE

What is it about?

The COVID-19 pandemic changed children’s daily routines, including physical activity and time spent at home. We studied whether childhood obesity also changed in Hatta, a rural area of the United Arab Emirates, where data on childhood obesity during this period were limited. We reviewed medical records of children aged 2–12 years who attended Hatta Hospital and compared data from 2019 with the period from March 2020 to December 2021. The proportion of children classified as obese increased from 7.5% before the pandemic to 12.2% during the pandemic, a 63% relative increase. Obesity also increasingly affected younger children, with the median age decreasing from 10 to 8 years. These findings show that the increase in childhood obesity during the pandemic was also observed in a rural community. They highlight the importance of early prevention, healthy lifestyles, physical activity, and timely identification of children at risk, particularly among younger children.

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Photo by Amber Faust on Unsplash

Photo by Amber Faust on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Childhood obesity is an important public health concern, and the COVID-19 pandemic significantly changed children’s daily routines, including physical activity, school attendance, and eating habits. This study examines how the proportional distribution of childhood obesity changed during the pandemic period in children attending healthcare services in the Hatta region of the UAE. Understanding these changes can help healthcare professionals identify trends in childhood obesity and support the development of appropriate prevention, screening, and early intervention strategies for children and their families.

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