Obesity pillars roundtable: Obesity and individuals from the Mediterranean region and Middle East

Effects of the COVID-19 Lockdown on HbA1c Levels of Ethnic Minorities and Low-income Groups with Type 2 Diabetes in Israel

AIMS

To investigate the impact of low socioeconomic status (SES) and/or membership in ethnic minority has on HbA1c before and during the COVID-19 lockdown.

METHODS

A retrospective cohort study was conducted between March 2019 and March 2021, based on data from electronic medical records of 17,072 patients with type-2 diabetes, collected by Clalit (Israel's largest health maintenance organization). Low SES was compared to high and ethnic minorities (Arabs and ultra-Orthodox Jews) were compared to the general Israeli population of mostly Jewish, but not ultra-Orthodox, Israeli citizens. Quantile regressions were used to examine the impact of SES and ethnic minority membership on HbA1c levels in the 0.10, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, 0.90 quantiles before and during the lockdown.

RESULTS

In the pre-lockdown period, patients with type-2 diabetes of low versus high SES, and Arabs versus the general population, had higher HbA1c. During the lockdown HbA1c levels of low versus high SES rose significantly in the 0.10 and 0.90 quantiles, and among Arabs HbA1c levels rose significantly across all quantiles, with a remarkable increment in the 0.90 quantile (from 0.316% in the pre-lockdown period to 0.730% in the lockdown period). Ultra-Orthodox Jewish diabetic patients had a marginally higher mean HbA1C level regardless of the period. Quantile regressions did not reveal a significant difference between the ultra-Orthodox Jewish and the general population.

CONCLUSION

The lockdown exacerbated disparities in glycemic control between low and high SES individuals and between Arab minority and the general population.

A Scoping Review of the Biological, Socioeconomic and Environmental Determinants of Overweight and Obesity Among Middle Eastern and Northern African Nationalities

Objectives

Globally, and particularly in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, overweight and obesity have become serious public health concerns. This scoping review aimed to identify and summarise the available data on the determinants of overweight and obesity among MENA nationalities.

Methods

An extensive search of electronic databases, including Google Scholar, PubMed and ProQuest, for articles published from 2007 until 2022 was conducted. A total of 10 articles, of the 333 that were found in the original search, met the inclusion criteria. Data extraction and quality assessment were applied to each of the selected studies.

Results

There is an intricate interplay of anthropometric, behavioural, sociodemographic and environmental factors that caused overweight and obesity in this population.

Conclusions

A thorough synthesis of the factors influencing overweight and obesity in MENA nationalities was provided by this scoping review.