UAE University Students’ Dietary Practices and Lifestyles at times of COVID-19: A Cross Sectional Study

Aseel A. Takshe¹, Rami El Khatib¹, Davide Contu², Samir Nael Shehaiber¹ and Mohammed Alkaabi¹

¹Department of Environmental Health Sciences, Canadian University Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

²Faculty of Management, Canadian University Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Corresponding Author Email: aseel.takshe@cud.ac.ae

We examined the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on university students’ dietary practices and lifestyles. In this study, the term “dietary practices” refers to people’s choice in food consumption, whereas “lifestyles” refers to their overall habits including both diet and exercise. We followed a quantitative approach through a cross sectional study and collected data from 475 university students in the UAE by means of an online survey. The results of this study indicated that a majority (67%) of the surveyed students seem to have changed their dietary practice for the better and were making healthier life choices. Additionally, it appears that students started leading more active, healthier lifestyles by incorporating exercise in their daily routine. The research concludes with initial suggestions and implications for healthcare practitioners and providing them with information regarding how younger adults in the UAE have behaved during a pandemic. Understanding the results from similar studies will help the health authorities in reshaping policies on nutrition in anticipation of any future pandemics.

COVID-19; Dietary practices; Eating patterns; Lifestyle; Students; United Arab Emirates

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