Prevalence and risk factors associated with nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases in the Eastern Mediterranean region

Figures & data

Figure 1 Flow chart for processing of the review.

Abbreviation: N-NCD, nutrition-related noncommunicable diseases.

Table 1 Prevalence (%) of raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and raised total cholesterol (aged-standardized adjusted estimates) among adults in the Eastern Mediterranean countries

Country	Raised Blood Pressurea				Raised blood glucoseb				Raised total cholesterolc
	Male	Female	Both	Yeard	Male	Female	Both	Yeard	Male	Female	Both	Yeard
Bahrain	44.3	42.5	43.7	1996	13.5	12.1	13.0	1996	–	–	–	–
Egypt	38.8	37.4	38.1	2002	07.0	07.4	07.2	–	33.9	45.3	39.9	–
Iran	41.4	37.3	39.4	2007	09.3	10.5	09.9	2007	49.8	58.1	54.1	2007
Iraq	–	–	–	–	12.7	12.5	12.6	2006	43.7	44.1	44.0	2007
Jordan	38.0	32.0	35.1	2007	17.2	18.1	17.7	2007	47.8	49.0	48.8	2007
Kuwait	40.3	34.7	38.4	2006	17.0	14.8	16.2	2006	56.2	55.7	56.2	2006
Lebanon	44.8	36.8	40.4	2008	13.0	11.0	11.9	–	–	–	–	–
Libya	51.7	42.4	49.6	2008	14.5	14.4	14.4	2008	34.6	31.6	35.6	2009
Morocco	43.9	46.0	45.0	2000	10.6	10.9	10.8	2000	35.3	39.0	37.2	2000
Oman	43.2	38.6	41.4	2000	12.0	12.3	12.2	2000	–	–	–	–
Pakistan	40.1	38.8	39.5	1992	11.7	14.1	12.9	1996	30.5	31.4	31.0	–
Qatar	44.4	33.1	42.7	2006	12.4	11.0	12.0	2008	–	–	–	–
Southern Arabia	43.1	38.9	41.4	2005	22.0	21.7	21.8	20051	36.4	42.1	39.0	2005
Tunisia	42.6	41.2	42.0	–	12.0	12.7	12.4	997	37.3	43.8	40.7	–
UAE	41.3	32.5	38.9	2000	15.3	15.8	15.5	2000	–	–	–	–

Notes:

a Prevalence of raised blood pressure among adults, defined as systolic blood pressure ≥140 mmHg and/or diastolic blood pressure ≥90 mmHg or on medication for raised blood pressure (%);

b prevalence of raised blood glucose among adults, defined as for fasting plasma glucose value ≥7.0 mmol/L (126 mg/dL) or on medication for raised blood glucose (%);

c prevalence of raised total cholesterol among adults, defined as total cholesterol ≥5.0 mmol/L or 190 mg/dL (%);

d countries with no latest year of data, and the estimate of diseases in these countries was based on a combination of country life tables, causes of death models, regional cause of death patterns, and World Health Organization program estimates for major causes of death.²³

Abbreviation: UAE, United Arab Emirates.

Table 2 National prevalence of overweight and obesity among male preschool children, schoolchildren, adolescents, and adults in Eastern Mediterranean region

Country	Preschool children (0–5 years)			Schoolchildren and adolescents					Adults (15 years +)
	Year of data	% Overweight	Reference	Year of data	Age range (year)	% Overweight	% Obesity	Reference	Year of data	% Overweight	% Obesity	Reference
Afghanistan*	1997	4.0	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bahrain	2003	7.0	^Citation159	2006	15–18	15.8	13.7	^Citation165	2007	34.8	32.3	^Citation174
Djibouti	2002	12.3	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Egypt*	1995–1996	8.6	^Citation158	2004	10–18	11.5	6.5	^Citation166	–	–	–	–
Iran	–	–	–	2003–2004	6–18	5.4	1.6	^Citation167	2004–2005	42.8	11.1	^Citation175
Jordan	1990	5.7	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Kuwait	2005	5.2	^Citation160	2006	10–14	29.3	14.9	^Citation168	2007	38.9	39.2	^Citation176
Lebanon	–	–	–	1995–1996	10–19	26.9	7.7	^Citation169	1995–1996	43.4	14.3	^Citation169
Libya	2003	13.9	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	2000	19.2	5.8	^Citation177
Morocco	2003–2004	17.8	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	1998–1999	28.0	5.7	^Citation178
Oman	1999	1.9	^Citation161	–	–	–	–	–	2000	30.6	15.5	^Citation179
Pakistan	1990–1991	3.1	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Qatar	2001	8.9	^Citation162	2003–2004	10–18	27.5	7.1	170	–	–	–	–
Saudi Arabia	–	–	–	2005	5–12	19.9	7.8	^Citation171	2005	43.0	31.5	^Citation180
Sudan	2000–2001	3.0	^Citation163	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Syria	2001	21.9	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tunisia	2006	5.6	^Citation164	2005	15–19	17.4	4.1	^Citation172	2005	51.7	37.0	^Citation181
UAE	–	–	–	2005	10–19	21.2	13.2	^Citation173	–	–	–	–
Yemen	2003	9.3	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Note:

* Male/female.

Abbreviation: UAE, United Arab Emirates.

Table 3 National prevalence of overweight and obesity among female preschool children, schoolchildren, adolescents, and adults in Eastern Mediterranean region

Country	Preschool children (0–5 years)			Schoolchildren and adolescents					Adults (15 years +)
	Year of data	% Overweight	Reference	Year of data	Age range (years)	% Overweight	% Obesity	Reference	Year of data	% Overweight	% Obesity	Reference
Afghanistan	1997	4.0	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Bahrain	2003	7.5	^Citation159	2006	15–18	17.4	19.4	^Citation165	2007	31.1	40.3	174
Djibouti	2002	7.9	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Egypt	1995–1996	8.6	^Citation158	2003–2004	10–18	15.2	7.7	^Citation166	–	–	–	–
Iran	–	–	–	2003–2004	6–18	5.9	1.3	^Citation167	2004–2005	57.0	25.2	175
Jordan	1990	5.7	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Kuwait	2005	6.8	^Citation160	2006	10–14	32.1	14.2	^Citation168	2007	28.9	53.0	176
Lebanon	–	–	–	1995–1996	10–19	14.7	2.9	^Citation169	1995–1996	30.6	15.5	169
Libya	2003	12.9	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	2000	21.1	7.1	177
Morocco	2003–2004	13.2	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	1998–1999	33.0	18.3	178
Oman	1999	01.9	^Citation161	–	–	–	–	–	2000	27.2	22.3	179
Palestine	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	2002	–	10.9	182
Pakistan	1990–1991	03.1	^Citation158	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Qatar	2001	09.4	^Citation162	2003–2004	10–18	20.0	3.9	^Citation170	–	–	–	–
Saudi Arabia	–	–	–	2005	5–12	19.2	11.0	^Citation171	2005	28.8	50.4	180
Sudan	2000–2001	03.9	^Citation163	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Syria	2001	18.4	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
Tunisia	2006	07.2	^Citation164	2005	15–19	20.4	4.4	^Citation172	2005	71.3	13.3	181
UAE	–	–	–	2005	15–19	21.7	11.0	^Citation173	–	–	–	–
Yemen	2003	8.3	^Citation149	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–

Abbreviation: UAE, United Arab Emirates.

Table 4 National prevalence of risk factors for diet-related chronic noncommunicable diseases in selected Eastern Mediterranean countries in persons aged ≥15 years using the STEPwise approach to surveillance

Country (year)	Gender	Hypertension (BP ≥ 140/90 mmgHg; %)	Hypercholesterolemia cholesterol level (≥5.2 mmol/dl; %)	Smoking (current daily smokers; %)	Low physical daily activity (≤10 minutes; %)	Low intake of fresh fruit and vegetables (≤5 servings/day; %)
Egypt (2005–2006)	M	26.3	15.7	34.6	–	–
	F	27.1	23.0	0.70	–	–
	Total	26.7	19.4	18.0	70.4	79.0
Iraq (2005)	M	43.0	38.9	41.5	61.8	91.2
	F	38.3	36.5	06.9	52.7	91.5
	Total	40.4	37.5	21.6	56.7	91.4
Iran (2005)	M	17.1	41.0	24.0	58.8	–
	F	12.5	46.0	01.9	76.3	–
	Total	14.8	43.6	13.0	67.3	–
Jordan (2007)	M	30.9	35.6	49.6	54.0	61.9
	F	21.5	36.5	05.7	49.0	52.5
	Total	25.5	36.0	29.0	51.0	57.0
Kuwait (2006)	M	21.3	40.0	37.8	57.9	79.2
	F	19.7	37.2	03.0	71.7	82.8
	Total	20.5	38.6	20.6	64.7	81.0
Saudi Arabia (2007)	M	24.2	18.6	20.9	60.9	91.6
	F	18.5	19.7	01.2	74.3	95.3
	Total	21.3	19.2	11.0	67.7	93.5
Sudan (2005)	M	24.8	19.6	24.7	75.9	–
	F	22.7	19.9	02.9	94.8	–
	Total	23.6	19.8	12.0	86.8	–
Syria (2003)	M	30.4	36.5	48.0	21.3	95.8
	F	26.4	31.6	08.9	41.0	95.6
	Total	28.4	34.0	24.7	31.2	95.7

Note: World Health Organization/Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.¹¹⁹

Abbreviation: BP, blood pressure.

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