Impact of Attending the Diwaniyyah on Kuwaiti Men’s Health

Diwaniyyah is a traditional gathering place for men in the Arab world. Most Kuwaiti men spend most of their time in the diwaniyyah, which is an important part of their social activity. The current study aims to examine the relationship between the diwaniyyah as a social community and the attendees’ health conditions to determine how the diwaniyyah affects Kuwaiti men’s lifestyle. A questionnaire was distributed among 500 men 16 years old and above. It comprised five parts of data: sociodemographic information, frequency of attending diwaniyyah, types of diwaniyyahs, and health lifestyle of members attending the diwaniyyah. A t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression were used to test the study’s questions. A significant difference in negative effect of diwaniyyahs on attendees’ physical health was detected according to the participants’ ethnic roots, affection for and length of time they spent in the diwaniyyah, time of day or evening that they visited, and dealing with chronic disease (p < .05). Also the results reveal significant differences in the positive effect of diwaniyyahs on the attendees’ lifestyle behavior according to their age, occupational status, religious affiliation, government, prayer time, and type of diwaniyyah (p < .05).