Unhealthy and unsustainable nutrition is a major concern globally, including in the United Arab Emirates. Although many education programs have been conducted, diet-related illnesses remain prevalent. This study aims to identify the barriers between knowledge and practice of sustainable healthy diets to achieve long-term health, among students of Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates. An online questionnaire was sent to Zayed University (ZU) students over 18 years of age, using snowball sampling. The participants achieved a mean score of 5.6 out of 11 in nutritional knowledge, and a mean score of 3.4 out of 6 in healthy habits. The only barrier that significantly affected dietary habits was not knowing how to plan a diet (p = 0.025). Accordingly, having good nutritional knowledge was significantly related to improved dietary habits (p < 0.001). In addition, school curriculums (p = 0.004), doing one’s own research (p < 0.001), and social media (p < 0.001) were significantly related to improved nutritional knowledge. The most commonly reported motivators for a healthier diet were “to keep their body healthy for a long time” and “to maintain a healthy weight” (72.6% and 70.1%, respectively). Overall, among ZU students the most significant barrier to achieving sustainable healthy nutrition was lack of knowledge. Education methods such as school curriculums, individual research, and social media were effective. Topics such as how to plan a diet, how to keep the body healthy, and how to maintain a healthy weight are of general interest.

The benefits of being physically active during pregnancy are widely acknowledged. It is important for the prevention of chronic diseases and the promotion of good health for mothers and children. However, physical activity by women in the UAE is notoriously low and reduced further during pregnancy. The same can be said regarding research about the knowledge and understanding of the benefits and risks associated with exercise as a predictor of behavior. We aimed to assess knowledge and attitudes towards physical activity during pregnancy amongst Emirati women. A cross-sectional digital survey was designed to assess knowledge and attitudes and distributed to women, aged 18–40 years, using non-randomized, purposeful snowball sampling. A total of 1538 women were recruited. Most participants were aged 20–29 years (53.5%), were Emiratis (88.9%), and had no history of chronic disease (68.6%). The participants self-reported very low levels of PA (75.5%) and had a below-average level of knowledge overall (40.6 ± 20). Younger ages (p < 0.001), lower educational levels (p = 0.004), being employed (p = 0.014), and having a history of chronic disease (p = 0.016) were significantly associated with lower mean knowledge scores, while being married (p = 0.003) was significantly associated with higher scores. The participants also exhibited a positive attitude towards physical activity during pregnancy by selecting answers that they supported it. To encourage physical activity, women living in the UAE could benefit from clear advice about safe physical activity during pregnancy.

Vitamin D deficiency is a significant public health issue as it affects almost 90% of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population. A bigger portion of this percentage is women due to the physiological changes throughout their life cycle. This study aims to assess the knowledge about vitamin D among women in the UAE. This is a quantitative cross-sectional study. Using snowball sampling, an electronic questionnaire was sent to women aged 18 years and above. Overall, 1537 women completed the questionnaire. The participants had mean scores of 49.4 ± 10.7 and 59.6 ± 14.6 for general and nutritional knowledge, respectively. Factors associated with higher scores included older age, marriage, higher educational level, and having tested their vitamin D levels. Factors associated with lower scores included the history of a chronic illness and being employed. Findings indicate that women in this study showed a low level of vitamin D knowledge specifically regarding the non-skeletal benefits of vitamin D and factors that affect vitamin D synthesis. Therefore, health education and promotion programs must be implemented across the UAE to improve overall awareness about vitamin D.

Vitamin D insufficiency impacts about half of the population worldwide. Almost one billion individuals across all ages and ethnicities suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Hypovitaminosis D is mainly related to lifestyle choices and habits, such as outdoor activities and food intake. Several studies have demonstrated a correlation between vitamin D status and anxiety symptoms. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the correlation between anxiety and factors including age, vitamin D deficiency, citizens, dietary and supplementary vitamin D intake, along with sun exposure, among a sample of female college students in the United Arab Emirates. A descriptive questionnaire, including a short version of the generalized anxiety disorder scale, food frequency questionnaire, and sun avoidance inventory, was used to assess the relationship between the dietary intake of vitamin D-rich foods and supplements, along with sun avoidance/exposure and generalized anxiety, among a total of 386 female participants aged 18 and above. The findings showed clear evidence that sun avoidance behaviors are strongly associated with an elevated risk of generalized anxiety disorder among adult females in the United Arab Emirates.

Introduction: This study is aimed at investigating Zayed University students’ knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAPs) regarding food labels and at identifying key predictors of food label use through logistic regression analysis. Methods: This quantitative cross‐sectional study used a validated questionnaire to elicit data on KAPs regarding the use of nutritional information and food labels. This study was conducted from January to May 2023 in the UAE among students from Zayed University. A total of 1153 students aged 18 and above from Zayed University participated in the study. They were recruited using snowball sampling. Descriptive statistics were obtained using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26. Results: We found a positive level of knowledge regarding food labeling (89.9%). Over half the participants viewed food labels positively as around 55.6% reported checking labels and 58.6% replaced food based upon labels while 67.0% checked calories, and 49.7% checked nutritional value. Approximately 60% made their choices based on cost. Over 80% reported checking expiry dates and avoiding expired items. Marital and employment status was the only variables to influence attitudes toward food labeling and checking labels. Conclusion: Our findings show that there is great potential for education regarding food labels to be effective in improving dietary practices.

Vitamin K is a fat-soluble vitamin essential in various physiological functions such as blood coagulation, bone metabolism, cardiovascular health, glucose regulation, immune function, neuroprotection, and vascular health. In this narrative review, studies from databases including PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and the institutional database of Zayed University were selected. The role of vitamin K in women's health, with a focus on osteoporosis, postmenopausal health, cardiovascular health, diabetes, cancer, kidney health, brain health, vascular health, and pregnancy were explored. The role of vitamin K in activating vitamin K-dependent proteins is essential for many of its functions. Vitamin K-dependent proteins such as osteocalcin and matrix Gla protein are crucial to many physiological processes such as bone mineralization, vascular calcification, and cardiovascular health. It also modulates glucose metabolism by enhancing insulin sensitivity, reducing oxidative stress, and influencing β-cell function. Vitamin K exhibits anti-cancer properties in cancer research, particularly in breast, cervical, and ovarian cancer models. It also plays a role in brain health including cognitive function, neuroinflammation reduction, and neurodegenerative disease prevention. Similarly, in kidney disease, vitamin K has been linked to chronic kidney disease progression and vascular calcification. Vitamin K's role in pregnancy includes its impact on neonatal coagulation and neurodevelopmental outcomes. Despite the promising role of vitamin K, findings are mixed on its role in bone mineral density and fracture prevention, cardiovascular protection, protection against vascular calcification, diabetes prevention, cancer risk, kidney dysfunction, and its role in maternal and child health. These highlight the need for further research, particularly longitudinal and randomized controlled trials, to determine optimal intake, efficacy of supplementation, and long-term health impacts of vitamin K in women.