Impact of Attending the Diwaniyyah on Kuwaiti Men’s Health

Abstract

Diwaniyyah is a traditional gathering place for men in the Arab world. Most Kuwaiti men spend most of their time in the diwaniyyah, which is an important part of their social activity. The current study aims to examine the relationship between the diwaniyyah as a social community and the attendees’ health conditions to determine how the diwaniyyah affects Kuwaiti men’s lifestyle. A questionnaire was distributed among 500 men 16 years old and above. It comprised five parts of data: sociodemographic information, frequency of attending diwaniyyah, types of diwaniyyahs, and health lifestyle of members attending the diwaniyyah. A t-test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and linear regression were used to test the study’s questions. A significant difference in negative effect of diwaniyyahs on attendees’ physical health was detected according to the participants’ ethnic roots, affection for and length of time they spent in the diwaniyyah, time of day or evening that they visited, and dealing with chronic disease (p < .05). Also the results reveal significant differences in the positive effect of diwaniyyahs on the attendees’ lifestyle behavior according to their age, occupational status, religious affiliation, government, prayer time, and type of diwaniyyah (p < .05).

A Changing in Social Lifestyle for Men During the COVID-19 Lockdown and Its Relationship to Mental Health: Kuwaiti Diwaniyyah as an Example

“…One third of the study participants reported that they had long periods of free time during the lockdown due to not attending a Diwaniyyah , resulting in them feeling socially isolated and bored. These findings are comparable with those of Al-Sejari’s (2018) study, which demonstrated how attending Diwaniyyah is considered an essential part of a Kuwaiti man’s social life and daily schedules.…”

“…This study is a pioneering research conducted among Kuwaiti men who attend Diwaniyyahs , and which aims to detect the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and the complete lockdown on their mental health. A study by Al-Sejari (2018) confirms the significance of Diwaniyyahs among male Kuwaiti attendees in which the majority of the participants considered it an essential part of their daily social life and said that they would visit the Diwaniyyah whatever the circumstances were. Furthermore, his findings demonstrate a significant association between Kuwaiti men’s social interaction, lifestyle behavior, physical health status, and the duration, frequency and types of Diwaniyyah visits.…”

Individual measures of social support may have limited impact on physiological parameters among elderly Kuwaitis

“…DBP, diastolic blood pressure; HbA1c, glycated hemoglobin opportunities to develop supportive relationships outside of the home as they do not attend mosque regularly and infrequently socialize outside the household. Furthermore, men participate in weekly gatherings (Diwaniyyah), an option unavailable to women, and men who attend these more often and are more involved show better health (Al-Kandari, 2008;Al-Sejari, 2018). Additionally, many elderly women in Kuwait have never worked outside their homes, further curtailing the possibility of large social networks.…”

“…Although the standard today is for all children to be enrolled in primary and secondary school, regardless of gender, and the overall adult literacy rate in the country was 95% in 2010 (World Health Organization, 2014), education and literacy rates are much lower in older cohorts, especially among women (Al-Kandari & Crews, 2014a). Compared to men, women from older cohorts also have fewer opportunities to engage in social interaction outside the household through religious practices or employment (Al-Kandari, 2003Al-Sejari, 2018). Despite these cultural shifts in recent decades, the social integration of elderly in Kuwait has been maintained and they are seen as highly respected, valued members of their society.…”

Genome-wide Selection Scan in an Arabian Peninsula Population Identifies aTNKShaplotype Linked to Metabolic Traits and Hypertension

“…In modern Kuwait, however, the effect of the TNKS haplotype is potentially detrimental. Indeed, hypertension and obesity are prevalent in the Kuwaiti population, affecting a staggering 25.3% and 48.2% of the population, respectively (Al-Sejari 2018). The World Health Organization has estimated that the mortality rate in Kuwait due to noncommunicable diseases is approximately 72% (https://www.who.int/nmh/publications/ncd-profiles-2018/en/; last accessed June 2019), which is alarmingly high.…”