Background. The increasing rate of obesity among Kuwaiti adolescents is associated with immediate and long term-risks to their health and well-being.Objective.

Objective: The present study was designed to assess physical activity, sedentary behaviours and dietary habits among adolescents in Kuwait and to compare the differences between genders. Design: A cross-sectional study was conducted among secondary-school children who participated in the Arab Teens Lifestyle Study (ATLS), a multi-centre collaborative project. Setting: Secondary schools in Kuwait. Subjects: Adolescents (463 boys and 443 girls), aged 14-19 years. Results: Nearly half (44?6 %) of the boys and three-quarters (76?0 %) of the girls did not meet the recommended daily physical activity levels ($2520 MET-min/week, moderate to vigorous intensity). Nearly all (96?3 % of boys and 96?7 % of girls) adolescents reported spending .2 h/d on screen time, with girls found to spend more time per day watching television (P 5 0?02) and using a computer (P , 0?001). The large majority of the adolescents reported skipping breakfast and not having milk and milk products, vegetables and fruit daily, while nearly two-thirds of the boys and girls had sugar-sweetened drinks on more than 3 d/week. Compared with girls, boys reported consuming more fruit (3?4 v. 2?8 times/week, P 5 0?001), dairy products (4?5 v. 3?6 times/week, P 5 0?001) and energy drinks (1?3 v.

Objective: The objective of the present study was to determine whether nutrition knowledge differs between male and female physicians working in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Design: The study employed a cross-sectional analysis of physician's nutrition knowledge by using a sixteen-item multiple-choice questionnaire. Setting: Governmental hospitals in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Subjects: One hundred Kuwaiti physicians (fifty males; fifty females) working in Kuwait City, Kuwait. Results: A response rate of 73 % was achieved (forty males; thirty-three females). The mean percentage of correctly answered questions was 60 %. The male and female physicians averaged 56 % and 65 % of correct responses, respectively (P 5 0?042). However, only for two questions did male and female physicians' scores differ significantly (P , 0?05). The two age groups (,40 years; $40 years) had equal mean total correct scores (60 %, P 5 0?935). Physicians' knowledge was greatest for topics that have received a great deal of media coverage in Kuwait. Most (70 %) of the physicians described their nutrition knowledge as 'moderate'. Conclusions: Physicians in Kuwait gave inaccurate information regarding common problems in Kuwaitis such as obesity, hypertension and osteoporosis. In view of the public's perception of the role of the physician in providing nutrition advice, it is imperative that nutrition and diet training be part of continuing medical education to bridge these deficiencies in physicians' knowledge.

BackgroundCurrent prevalence estimates for diabetes in Arabian Gulf countries are some of the world’s highest, yet regional trends and contributing factors are poorly documented. The present study was designed to determine temporal changes in the prevalence of impaired fasting glucose (IFG) and diabetes and associated factors in Kuwaiti adults.MethodsData analysis from the nationally representative cross-sectional Kuwait National Nutrition Surveillance System. 2745 males and 3611 females, aged 20–69 years, attending registration for employment or pensions and Hajj Pilgrimage health check-ups or accompanying children for immunizations from 2002 through 2009 were participated. Socio-demographic and lifestyle information, height and weight, and blood samples were collected.ResultsDuring the 8 years (2002–09), prevalences of IFG in males and females decreased by 7.4% and 6.8% and of diabetes by 9.8% and 8.9% in males and females, respectively. Linear regression for blood glucose level with time, adjusted for age, BMI, blood cholesterol and education level, showed a greater decrease in males than females (1.12 vs 0.93 mmol/L); males also showed an increase in 2002–2003 followed by a marked decrease in 2006–2007 while females showed a significant decrease in 2008–2009. Both males and females showed the largest decrease in the 2nd half of the study accounting for the majority of the overall decrease (1.13 mmol/L for males and 0.87 mmol/l for females for the 4 years). Compared with 2002–03, the OR for IFG in males decreased with time, and becoming significantly lower (OR=0.32; 95% CI: 0.21-0.49) for 2008–09. In females, the OR for IFG decreased significantly with time, except in 2006–07. Similarly, the OR for diabetes in males decreased to 0.34 (95% CI: 0.24-0.49) and in females to 0.33 (95% CI: 0.22-0.50) in 2008–09. For both genders, age and BMI were independently positively associated with IFG and diabetes, while education levels and smoking were negatively associated with IFG and diabetes. No significant association was found for either hypercholesterolemia or exercise in either gender.ConclusionContinued monitoring of blood glucose is needed to see if negative trends observed in 2008–2009 endure and further research of contributing factors is required for development of targeted intervention strategies.

Bread is a staple food for majority of the people worldwide, but it has a high glycemic effect. Substituting wheat flour partly with chickpea flour and the presence of bran is suggested to improve the glycemic effect of bread; however, the non-gluten substances in wheat flour adversely affect dough rheology. The addition of amla powder was tested on the rheological properties of wheat–chickpea flour composite doughs; also, the physical and sensory qualities of bread made thereof. The results showed that when the level of replacement of refined white flour (WF) or whole wheat flour (WWF) with chickpea flour was increased from 0 to 40%, it significantly affected the rheological properties and functionality of dough. A decreased farinograph water absorption, higher mixing tolerance index (i.e., weakening of dough), decreased resistance to extension, and lower ratio numbers were obtained with some differences between WF and WWF at the higher level of chickpea flour substitution. The addition of amla powder to WF: chickpea flour (60:40) blends reduced the angle of ascending (from 7.0 ± 0.7 to 6.0 ± 0.7) and angel of descending (from 3.2 ± 0.21 to 2.4 ± 0.2), indicating the slight tightening of gluten leading to dough breakdown. The addition of amla powder improved the mixing characteristics of the composite flour doughs, as well as the physical and sensory qualities of the bread. In conclusion, amla powder can help overcome the deleterious impact of adding chickpea flour to WF or WWF for producing good quality pan bread for people with type-2 diabetes.