Prevalence of Prediabetes among Adult Population of Dubai, the United Arab Emirates: Findings from Dubai Household Survey, 2019
Authors: Hassanein Mohamed M. , Alawadi Fatheya F. , Mamdouh Heba , Hussain Hamid Y. , Khater Ahmed , Ibrahim Gamal , Sulieman El-Daw 
Published: September 2024

Introduction: The health and social burdens of diabetes mellitus (DM) and prediabetes are steadily increasing worldwide, reflecting the impact of industrial transitions; shifting to unhealthy, sedentary life patterns; and unhealthy food consumption. In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including the Emirate of Dubai, DM and prediabetes are considered a national public health challenge in terms of extent, impact, cost, and consequences. This study aims to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes and associated risk factors among a representative sample of the adult population in the Emirate of Dubai.
Methods: A cross-sectional household health survey was conducted with a multistage, stratified cluster. The study used a secondary data analysis from the Dubai Household Health Survey (DHHS) 2019 edition. A random sample of 2496 households was included, representing all residents of Dubai (both Emirati and non-Emirati families). The survey design and methods were taken from the World Health Survey of the World Health Organization (WHO) with some modifications. Prediabetes was considered based on HbA1C cut-off results (levels of 5.7% to 6.4%).
Results: The overall prevalence of prediabetes among all participants was 16.2% (20.5% in males and 11.6% in females). The prediabetes rate was higher in non-UAE nationals (17.1%) compared to UAE nationals (12%). There was a statistically significant association between prediabetes and some sociodemographic and behavioral characteristics. The age groups 40–49 and 60+ years showed the highest prevalence of prediabetes in this study (23.7% and 36.4%, respectively). The results of the logistic regression analysis demonstrated that males are more likely to get prediabetes than females (odds ratio; 95% CI = 1.62; 1.13–2.38). Non-UAE nationals had higher chances of developing prediabetes than Emirati nationals (OR; 95% CI = 1.53; 1.50–1.56, P < 0.001). Smokers were at a slightly higher risk of getting prediabetes than nonsmokers (OR; 95% CI = 1.03; 1.020–1.045, P < 0.001). Moreover, married participants are slightly more likely to develop prediabetes compared to single participants (OR; 95% CI =1.29; 1.28–1.33, P < 0.001).
Discussion: The present study is based on the findings from the DHHS 2019, which provides a comprehensive picture of the glycemic status of the Dubai population, whether Emirati or expats, including the prediabetes rates. The present survey revealed that the rates of prediabetes were higher among expatriates than among Emirati nationals. The expatriate community in Dubai is dynamic and could have been subjected to many changes over the past five years. In addition, our results demonstrated a higher prevalence of prediabetes among higher educational status cohorts compared to those with a lower level of education, and the same was noticed with the marital status, which revealed a higher prevalence among married or previously married groups compared to those who were single. In general, all of these associations are in coherence with the findings of other existing studies in the UAE.
Conclusion: Findings from the DHHS 2019 indicated a high burden of prediabetes among adults in Dubai. Higher rates of prediabetes were significantly reported in non-Emiratis, older age groups, males, those with high educational levels and high BMI, and smokers.