Nutrition country profile: Qatar

Nutrition country profile Qatar 1 Source: WHO Global Health Observatory. Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region Pr ev al en ce (% ) Wasting prevalence among children under 5 years of ageThe prevalence of wasting in children under five in Qatar decreased from 10.1% in 2013 to 2.8% in 2017. The prevalence of stunting decreased from 9.4% to 4.6% over the past two decades, remaining significantly lower than the regional average. During the same period, the prevalence of overweight in children under five increased from 9.9% to 13.9%, remaining at a notably higher level than the regional average. Child malnutrition Population as percentage of regional total, 2020 Percentage of female and male population, 2020 Population aged 0–14 of total population, 2020 Region Qatar Female Male 0–14 > 14 Total population (2020) 2 881 060 Life expectancy at birth (years) female/male (2019) 82/79 Under-5 mortality rate (per 1000 live births) (2019) 7 Gross domestic product per capita (current US$) (2020) 50 805.5 Demographics Source: The World Bank Source: The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Health Observatory. Nutrition country profile Qatar 2 A significant increase in the prevalence of overweight among adults in Qatar was recorded between the years 2000 and 2016 (from 62.9 to 71.7%). Also, the prevalence of overweight among children and adolescents aged 5–19 rose from 31.7% in 2000 to 38.7% in 2016. Overweight and obesity Source: WHO Global Health Observatory. Note: The WHO global anaemia estimates are derived from a hierarchical Bayesian mixture model that uses all available data to make estimates for each country and year. In the model, estimates for each country are informed by data from that country itself, if available, and by data from other countries, especially those in the same region. Due to this method, the estimates may differ from official estimates of Member States. The methodology is described here: https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/anaemia-in-women-and-children/hb-methods-for-gather.pdf?sfvrsn=da0fbb5f_11 and here https:// pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25103581/. Anaemia prevalence in women of reproductive age (15–49 years) Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region The prevalence of anaemia in women of reproductive age in Qatar decreased slightly from 31.4% to 28.1% between the years 2000 and 2019. Anaemia in women of reproductive age The prevalence of early initiation of breastfeeding (within one hour of birth) in Qatar was 33.5% in 2012. The prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among children under six months was 29.3%. Infant and young child feeding Note: The UNICEF/WHO/WB joint child malnutrition estimates for stunting and overweight are modelled at logit (log-odds) scale using a penalized longitudinal mixed-model with a heterogeneous error term. The country modelled estimates are generated using the JME country dataset, which uses the collection of national data sources. Due to this method, estimates may differ from official estimates of Member States (i.e., the stunting prevalence from a household survey for a given country in a given year is not reported as the prevalence for that country in that year; rather, it feeds into the modelled estimates). The methodology is described here: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240025257. Wasting is defined as a percent weight-for- height that is two or more standard deviations below the median. Stunting is defined as a percent height-for-age that is two or more standard deviations below the median. Overweight is defined as a percent weight-for-height that is two or more standard deviations above the median. Sources: UNICEF. Overweight prevalence among adults, (age-standardized estimate) Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region Nutrition country profile Qatar 3 1 Country profiles [website]. Seattle, WA: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, University of Washington; 2021 (https://www.healthdata.org/results/country- profiles, accessed 11 July 2022). Obesity prevalence among children and adolescents (5-19), (crude estimate) Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region Source: WHO Global Health Observatory. Overweight prevalence among children and adolescents (5–19), (crude estimate) Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region BMI = body mass index. (Overweight in adults is defined as a BMI of 25 or greater, and in children and adolescents as a BMI one or more standard deviations above the median. Obesity in adults is defined as a BMI of 30 or greater, and in children and adolescents as a BMI two or more standard deviations above the median.) Obesity is the reported risk factor responsible for the greatest total number of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in Qatar in 2019.1 The prevalence of obesity in Qatar increased from 26.2% to 35.1% between 2000 and 2016. Similarly, the prevalence of obesity among children and adolescents aged 5-19 in Qatar significantly increased between 2000 and 2016, from 13.6% to 19.5%. Obesity prevalence among adults (age-standardized estimate) Pr ev al en ce (% ) Qatar Region Note: The WHO estimates for overweight and obesity are derived from a Bayesian hierarchical model, which uses NCD-RisC database of population-based data. The model has a hierarchical structure in which estimates for each country and year are informed by its own data, if available, and by data from other years in the same country and from other countries, especially those in the same region with data for similar time periods. Due to this method, the estimates may differ from official estimates of Member States. The methodology is described here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29029897/. Nutrition country profile Qatar 4 Micronutrient status Nutrition policies and strategies The iodine intake in Qatar is considered excessive, as the estimated median urinary iodine concentration among school children was recorded to be 341 μg/L in 2014.2 Source: WHO Micronutrients Database. Vitamin and Mineral Nutrition Information System. Key national programmes Date Development of national nutrition strategy or action plan a, b 2017–2022 Plan of action for obesity prevention b 2015 Strategy or plan of action on infant and young child feeding b Since 2014 Code of marketing of breast milk substitutes c, d Child growth monitoring b 2011–2016 School feeding programme a, b, e 2018–2019 Policies Policy to reduce salt/sodium consumption b, f Tax on sugar sweetened beverages g, h Policy to limit trans-fatty acid intake b, i Policy to reduce the impact of marketing of food to children b, j Policy on salt iodization b, k Front-of-pack nutrition labelling for food Wheat flour fortification b, l 2011–2016 2019 2011–2016 2011–2016 Mandatory Voluntary =Policy/programme implemented =Policy/programme not implemented a Policies in Qatar: In: Global database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action [website]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022 (https://extranet.who.int/nutrition/gina/en/policies/1528, accessed 28 July 2022). b Programmes in Qatar: In: Global database on the Implementation of Nutrition Action [website]. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2022 (https://extranet.who.int/nutrition/gina/en/programmes/1528, accessed 28 July 2022). c Al Jawaldeh A, Sayed G. Implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. East Mediterr Health J. 2018(1):25–32. doi:10.26719/2018.24.1.25. d Marketing of breast milk substitutes: national implementation of the international code, status report 2020. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020 (https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240006010, accessed 6 June 2022). e How-to guide for school canteen supervisors for the academic year 2018-2019. Doha: Health and Safety Department; 2018 (https://www.edu.gov.qa/ar/ Deputy/sharedservicesaffairs/healthandsafety-dept/Documents/FilesLibrary/2-GuidetoSchoolCafeteriaSupervisors.pdf, accessed 29 July 2022) (in Arabic). f Al-Jawaldeh A A, et al. Salt reduction initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and evaluation of progress towards the 2025 Global Target: A systematic review. Nutrients. 2021;13(8):2676. doi:10.3390/nu13082676. g Al-Jawaldeh A and Megally R. Impact evaluation of soft drink taxes as part of nutrition policies in Gulf Cooperation Council countries: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates [version 2; peer review: 1 approved, 1 not approved]. F1000Research 2021, 9:1287 doi:10.12688/ f1000research.27097.2. h Al-Jawaldeh A, Hammerich A, Doggui R, Engesveen K, Lang K, McColl K. Implementation of WHO recommended policies and interventions on healthy diet in the countries of the Eastern Mediterranean Region: From policy to action. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3700. doi:10.3390/nu12123700. i Al-Jawaldeh A et al. A systematic review of trans fat reduction initiatives in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Front Nutr. 2021;8:771492. doi:10.3389/ fnut.2021.771492. k Doggui R, Al-Jawaldeh H, Al-Jawaldeh A. Trend of iodine status in the Eastern Mediterranean Region and impact of the universal salt iodization programs: a narrative review. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2020; 198, 390–402. doi.org/10.1007/s12011-020-02083-1. l Al-Jawaldeh AE. The regional assessment of the implementation of wheat flour fortification in the Eastern Mediterranean Region. Int J Sci Res Manag. 2019; 7(03), 28–37. doi:10.18535/ijsrm/v6i3.ft01. 2 Global Scorecard of Iodine Nutrition 2014–2015, Ottawa: Iodine Global Network; 2015 (https://www.ign.org/cm_data/Scorecard_2015_August_26_new_intake.pdf, accessed 6 July 2022). Nutrition country profile Qatar © World Health Organization 2023 Some rights reserved. This work is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 IGO licence (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/igo). 5 Success stories Sustainability considerations in the Qatar dietary guidelines The Qatar dietary guidelines, a part of the National Health Strategy and Nutrition and Physical Activity Plan published in 2016, include a recommendation to “eat healthy while protecting the environment”. Specific advice is to emphasize a plant-based diet (including vegetables, fruit, whole grain cereals, legumes, nuts and seedings), reduce leftovers and waste, consume foods produced locally and regionally, choose fresh, homemade foods and conserve water in food preparation. The guidelines include some explanatory facts on sustainability issues related to food production and preparation and some key tips for households. WHO-EM/NUT/304/E Ministry of Health Website: https://www.moph.gov.qa/english/Pages/default.aspx