Skip to main content

Table 1 Characteristics of UAE Infants and Toddlers ages 0 to 23.9 months FITS 2020 (n = 276)

From: Nutritional status and adequacy of feeding Practices in Infants and Toddlers 0-23.9 months living in the United Arab Emirates (UAE): findings from the feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) 2020

Characteristics

Total (n = 276)

Nationals

(n = 180)

Arab non-Nationals

(n = 96)

P-value

Mean ± SE

 

  Age (in months)

8.8 ± 0.4

8.3 ± 0.5

9.6 ± 0.7

0.11

n (%)

 

Gender

0.06

  Male

151 (54.7)

91 (50.6)

60 (62.5)

  Female

125 (45.3)

89 (49.4)

36 (37.5)

Age

 

  0 – 3.9 months

82 (29.7)

60 (33.3)

22 (22.9)

0.16

  4 – 5.9 months

31 (11.2)

23 (12.8)

8 (8.3)

  6 – 8.9 months

46 (16.7)

25 (13.9)

21 (21.9)

  9 – 11.9 months

27 (9.8)

16 (8.9)

11 (11.5)

  12 – 23.9 months

90 (32.6)

56 (31.1)

34 (35.4)

  Exclusive Breastfeeding at 4 months (among 0-3.9 m)

38 (46.3)

27 (45.0)

11 (50.0)

0.69

  Exclusive Breastfeeding at 6 months (among 0-5.9 m)

42 (37.2)

29 (34.9)

13 (43.3)

0.42

Education of Mother

0.001*

  Up to Secondarya

132 (47.8)

99 (55.0)

33 (34.4)

  University/Graduate Degree

144 (52.2)

81 (45.0)

63 (65.6)

Education of Father

0.001*

  Up to Secondarya

133 (48.4)

100 (55.6)

33 (34.7)

  University/Graduate Degree

142 (51.6)

80 (44.4)

62 (65.3)

Employment Status of Mother

0.60

  No

198 (71.7)

131 (72.8)

67 (69.8)

  Yes

78 (28.3)

49 (27.2)

29 (30.2)

Employment Status of Father

1.00

  No

8 (2.9)

5 (2.8)

3 (3.2)

  Yes

267 (97.1)

175 (97.2)

92 (96.8)

Crowding Index

   

0.01*

  <1

30 (11)

27 (15.3)

3 (3.1)

  1-2

169 (62.1)

106 (60.2)

63 (65.6)

  ≥2

73 (26.8)

43 (24.4)

30 (31.3)

House Ownership (n = 242)b

<0.001*

  Not owned

131 (54.1)

55 (35.3)

76 (88.4)

  Owned

111 (45.9)

101 (64.7)

10 (11.6)

  Dietary Supplement Usec

   

0.67

  No

114 (41.3)

76 (42.2)

38 (39.6)

  Yes

162 (58.7)

104 (57.8)

58 (60.4)

  1. *Indicates significance at p < 0.05
  2. aUp to secondary school includes: No schooling, primary school, intermediate school, high school, or technical diploma
  3. bHouse ownership has a different sample size of 242 as 34 participants did not answer the question
  4. cDietary supplement use included taking any multivitamin, vitamins, or minerals (chewable, tablets or drops)
  5. Percent population by Nationality: Nationals 65%; Arab non-nationals 35%