The COVID-19 pandemic is a major health crisis that has changed the life of millions globally. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of the pandemic on mental health and quality of life among the general population in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. A total of 6142 adults from eighteen countries within the MENA region completed an online questionnaire between May and June 2020. Psychological impact was assessed using the Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R) and the social and family support impact was assessed with questions from the Perceived Support Scale (PSS). The IES-R mean score was 29.3 (SD = 14.8), corresponding to mild stressful impact with 30.9% reporting severe psychological impact. Most participants (45%–62%) felt horrified, apprehensive, or helpless due to COVID-19. Furthermore, over 40% reported increased stress from work and financial matters. Higher IES-R scores were found among females, participants aged 26–35 years, those with lower educational level, and participants residing in the North Africa region (p<0.005). About 42% reported receiving increased support from family members, 40.5% were paying more attention to their mental health, and over 40% reported spending more time resting since the pandemic started. The COVID-19 pandemic was associated with mild psychological impact while it also encouraged some positive impact on family support and mental health awareness among adults in the MENA region. Clinical interventions targeted towards vulnerable groups such as females and younger adults are needed.

Self-reported measures of height and weight are often used in large epidemiological studies. However, concerns remain regarding the validity and reliability of these self-reported measures. The aim of this systematic review was to summarise and evaluate the comparative validity of measured and self-reported weight and height data and to recommend strategies to improve the reliability of self-reported-data collection across studies. This systematic review adopted the PRISMA guidelines. Four online sources, including PubMed, Medline, Google Scholar, and CINAHL, were utilised. A total of 17,800 articles were screened, and 10 studies were eligible to be included in the SLR based on the defined inclusion and exclusion criteria. The findings from the studies revealed good agreement between measured and self-reported weight and height based on intra-class correlation coefficient and Bland–Altman plots. Overall, measured weight and height had higher validity and reliability (ICC > 0.9; LOA < 1 SD). However, due to biases such as social pressure and self-esteem issues, women underreported their weight, while men overreported their height. In essence, self-reported measures remain valuable indicators to supplement the restricted direct anthropometric data, particularly in large-scale surveys. However, it is essential to address potential sources of bias.

Objective: The current study evaluated the reliability and validity of the Arabic version of the revised general nutrition knowledge questionnaire (GNKQ-R) for adults.Design: The eighty-eight-item English GNKQ-R was adapted into an eighty-six-item Arabic version. Four validation studies were conducted for internal (n 805) and external (n 106) reliability, construct validity between participants with (n 84) and without (n 88) nutrition background, convergent validity for associations between nutrition knowledge and demographic characteristics (n 750) and responsiveness to online nutrition information (n 55).Setting: United Arab Emirates University in United Arab Emirates and Hashemite University in Jordan.Participants: Undergraduate students aged 18 years and above, enrolled in any programme at the two universities, were recruited.Results: Overall, internal reliability (Cronbach’s α = 0·91) and external reliability (P = 0·350; intra-class correlation coefficient = 0·84) were high. Significantly higher GNKQ-R scores of students with (66·0 (10·6)) v. without (38·0 (10·7), P < 0·001; d = 2·6) nutrition background indicated high construct validity. Significantly higher GNKQ-R scores among females v. males, older and senior students v. younger and junior students and students in health discipline v. non-health discipline reflected good convergent validity. Significant differences in GNKQ-R scores with nutrition information (time 1 = 37·8 (10·5) and time 2 = 47·7 (9·1), P < 0·001; d = 1·0) indicated high responsiveness to nutrition intervention.Conclusions: The Arabic GNKQ-R showed high reliability and validity in the young adult Arab population. Besides the reliability of the overall questionnaire, each section demonstrated adequate reliability. Further studies are warranted to establish the generalisability and applicability of the Arabic GNKQ-R in older adults and in different middle-eastern Arab countries.

The prevalence of obesity and overweight has been rapidly increasing and is significantly higher among adult females in the Arab States. The aim of the present study was to explore pregnant Emirati women’s perception of their weight, their knowledge of the healthy gestational weight gain, and the possible weight-related pregnancy complications. A total of 526 self-administered questionnaires were obtained with a response rate of 72%. The majority (81.8%, n = 429) entered pregnancy as overweight or obese. The percentage of pregnant women who underestimated their weight category was 12.1% in normal weight participants, 48.9% in overweight participants, and 73.5% in obese participants (p < 0.001). The overweight and obese participants were 13 times more likely to underestimate their weight status and 3.6 times more likely to correctly select their healthy gestational weight gain. Women’s awareness of pregnancy-related complications due to weight varied from 80.3% for diabetes to 44.5% for fetal complications; their awareness of breastfeeding difficulty was the lowest at 2.5%. Moreover, there was a misconception about personal BMI and the appropriate range for gestational weight gain (GWG). Healthy lifestyle counselling urgently needs to be addressed in preventative health programs such as pre-marital and preconception counselling.

A distance runner's performance is generally limited by energy availability when competing or training. Modifying meal frequency and timing by abstaining from eating or drinking, from dawn to dusk, during Ramadan fasting is hypothesized to induce hypohydration and reduced caloric and nutrient intake. The purpose of this study was to investigate the impact of Ramadan fasting on runners' performances. Fifteen trained male distance runners who observed Ramadan participated in this study (Age = 23.9 ± 3.1 years; Peak VO₂ = 71.1 ± 3.4 ml/kg/min). Each participant reported to the human performance lab on two testing occasions (pre-Ramadan and the last week of Ramadan). In each visit, participants performed a graded exercise test on the treadmill (Conconi protocol) and their VO₂, Heart Rate, time to exhaustion, RPE, and running speed were recorded. Detailed anthropometrics, food records, and exercise logs were kept for the entire period of the study. Repeated measure ANOVA, paired t-test, and Cohen's effect size analysis were carried out. Results indicated no significant influence for Ramadan fasting on body mass (p = 0.201), body fat (p = 0.488), lean body mass (p = 0.525), VO₂max (p = 0.960), energy availability (p = 0.137), and protein intake (p = 0.124). However, carbohydrate (p = 0.026), lipid (p = 0.009), water (p < 0.001), and caloric intakes (p = 0.002) were significantly reduced during Ramadan Fasting. Daily training duration (p < 0.001) and exercise energy expenditure (p = 0.001) were also reduced after Ramadan. Time to exhaustion (p = 0.049), and maximal running speed (p = 0.048) were improved. Overall, time to exhaustion and maximal running speed of the distance runners was improved during Ramadan fasting, independent of changes in nutrients intake observed during the current study. With proper modulation of training, distance runners performance can be maintained or even slightly improved following the month of Ramadan fasting.

Metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) helps reduce comorbidities, such as hypertension and gestational diabetes, and is more effective than diet management for women with obesity-related health issues. Vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, and iron play important roles in ensuring the health of a neonate. However, pregnancies occurring after MBS may face complications related to micronutrient deficiencies, particularly of vitamins B₁₂ and D and iron. This study aimed to investigate the vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, ferritin, and iron status of pregnant women who underwent MBS compared with women without MBS history. The study included 217 pregnant women (105 with a history of MBS and 112 without a history of MBS) who visited a major maternity hospital in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) between July 2021 and November 2022. The maternal vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, iron, and ferritin levels were measured twice, initially during the first or second trimester and subsequently during the third trimester. The iron was measured once during the pregnancy. Vitamin B₁₂ deficiency was higher among pregnant women with MBS history compared to non-bariatric pregnant women (24.4% vs. 3.9%, p < 0.001). Women with a history of MBS had a higher prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (62.3% vs. 37.7%, p < 0.002). Linear regression analysis indicated that vitamin B₁₂ levels decreased by 55 pg/mL in women with a history of MBS and by 4.6 pg/mL with a unit increase in body mass index (kg/m²). Furthermore, vitamin D levels in women with a history of MBS decreased by 4.9 ng/mL during pregnancy. Metabolic bariatric surgery is associated with vitamin B₁₂, vitamin D, and iron deficiencies during pregnancy.