Trends in the prevalence of twenty health indicators among adolescents in United Arab Emirates: cross-sectional national school surveys from 2005, 2010 and 2016

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the trends in the prevalence of various health indicators among adolescents in United Arab Emirates (UAE). METHODS: Nationally representative data were analysed from 24,220 in-school adolescents (median age = 14 years) that took part in three cross-sectional surveys (2005, 2010 and 2016) of the “UAE Global School-Based Student Health Survey (GSHS)”. RESULTS: Significant improvements were identified among both girls and boys in the reduction of being physically attacked, inadequate fruit intake, inadequate vegetable consumption, loneliness, and among girls only poor oral hygiene (< 2 times tooth brushing/day) and among boys only, experiencing hunger and in physical fight. Significant rises were identified among both girls and boys in the prevalence of bullying victimization, overweight or obesity, leisure-time sedentary behaviour, injury and inconsistent washing hands prior to eating, and among boys only obesity and among girls only inadequate physical activity, and school truancy. CONCLUSIONS: Several reductions but even more increases of poor health indicators were identified over three cross-sectional surveys during a period of 11 years emphasizing the need for enhanced health promotion activities in this adolescent school population.