Qatar’s diabetes prevalence drops 1.35%: STEPwise Survey

Paying rich dividends to the policies and efforts of the country, the diabetes prevalence in Qatar, as per the findings of the STEPwise Survey 2023, stands at 15.35%, marking a drop of 1.35% compared to the previous survey in 2012.

This was announced by Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad al-Thani, Director, Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programmes Department, Ministry of Public Health, on Monday, at a diabetes care symposium at the University of Doha for Science and Technology (UDST).

“In the STEPwise survey of 2023, there is a 1.35% decrease among the respondents having high fasting glucose or being treated for high fasting glucose compared to the previous survey in 2012. In the 2012 STEPWise survey it was 16.70% and it has been reduced to 15.35% as per the latest survey,” he explained.

A total of 7,448 people participated in the 2023 survey, including 3,459 women and 3,989 men, aged 18-69. The respondents comprised a total of 3,686 Qataris (2,106 males and 1,580 females) and 3,762 non-Qataris (1,883 males and 1,879 females), according to the official, who clarified that the 2012 survey covered only Qataris.

The 2023 survey assessed several risk factors. It included behavioural risks including tobacco use, unhealthy diet, physical inactivity; biological risk factors of overweight and obesity, raised blood pressure, raised blood glucose and abnormal blood lipids.

There were three different steps of risk factor assessment such as questionnaire, physical measurements and blood and urine samples.

Sheikh Dr Mohammed pointed out that the 2023 survey was delayed due to Covid-19 pandemic. He also revealed several other findings of the survey suggesting steady progress in several areas of non-communicable diseases and risk factors.

“In Obesity, there is a decrease from 41.40% in 2012 to 39.20% in 2023 marking a steady improvement. Similarly, the percentage of respondents who smoke has come down from 16.40% in 2012 to 12.50% in 2023. There is a decrease of 3.9% in smokers.”

Sheikh Dr Mohamed said there is also a 14% reduction in the number of respondents having three or more risk factors. It was 50.6%in 2012 and 36.7% in 2023. However, there is a decrease of 14.9% in people who do not eat enough fruits and vegetables compared to the previous survey and the respondents in 2023 spent 17 minutes less per day doing physical activity in comparison with the previous survey.

According to Sheikh Dr Mohammed, Qatar’s multifaceted approach has shown progress in addressing non-communicable diseases in the country and continued efforts are essential for a healthier future. He also urged the communities to leave their smartphones for some time on a daily basis and engage in more physical activities regularly.

“The improvement could at least partially be attributed to the policies implemented so far and various interventions at different stages. Despite the improvements, non-communicable diseases along with risk factors still impose a great threat to the population. Continued efforts in health promotion, health in all policies and the Healthy Cities initiative are crucial for a healthier future,” he added.