- October 14, 2024
- Posted by: Waqas Siddiqui
- Category: Healthcare
The Middle East Health and Wellbeing Trends
A recently published Health and Wellbeing Report by insurance provider GIG found a major disconnect between how individuals perceive their well-being and the underlying mental health challenges they face. The Middle East Health and Wellbeing Report surveyed 3,599 participants from eight Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) countries including the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
Mental Wellbeing Trends
The findings revealed that 65% of respondents acknowledged facing mental health challenges in the past year with 62% of those reporting mental health challenges self-diagnosing their conditions. This highlights the need to create support and initiatives for better mental health awareness across the region.
Likewise, over one-third (35%) of the respondents in a few countries had no clarity on whom to contact for professional support which indicates a need to have more mental health support resources available in the MENA region.
Physical Wellbeing Trends
In terms of physical health and lifestyle habits, half of the respondents (50%) did not engage in any form of physical exercise; however, 54% of respondents were able to get seven hours of sleep every night. In terms of common ailments, allergies (15%) and musculoskeletal disorders (14%) were reported by the respondents.
Workplace Wellbeing Trends
In addition, the survey findings reveal a strong desire for more employer-driven initiatives to support the health and well-being of the employees. Many respondents indicated the desire to have regular health checks, wellness workshops, and stress management programs.
Read: UAE’s Healthcare Sector Evolution: Challenges, Innovations, and Strategies
Demand for Digital Health and Wellbeing Tools
The survey findings also revealed a strong interest in digital well-being tools which included fitness and mental health apps. This also reflected opportunities to leverage technologies to promote employee mental and physical well-being.
The findings suggest an urgent need for incorporating a more holistic approach to mental and physical health as well as lifestyle aspects. It also presents an opportunity for the players in the healthcare and wellness industry to leverage the emerging demand in the MENA region by offering wellness products and services to help individuals enhance their mental and physical well-being. Similarly, there is a rising demand to address health issues like aging, low birth rates, obesity, and cancer. This has led the UAE government to focus on setting new global health standards in the fields of AI, genomics, and health literacy.
Research Konnection is a leading healthcare market research company in the UAE. Contact us at hello@researchkonnection.com for market research inquiries.