19 February 2023 | Cairo – Oman has launched its 2023 national nutrition-related knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) survey for people aged between 14 and 60 years old. The launch, under the auspices of Undersecretary of Health Affairs, was attended by the WHO Representative in Oman and national stakeholders. The nutrition survey was developed as a partnership between the Ministry of Health, Al Jisr Foundation and WHO. It examines community awareness and knowledge regarding nutrition, and seeks to obtain baseline quantitative data on KAP related to sugar, salt and trans-fat and explores the relationships between those variables and sociodemographic parameters.
Following the launch, a five-day training for 44 health care trainers from across the Sultanate is being held to teach them how to collect data using the four required questionnaires in primary health care services, taking ethical considerations into account; 5623 participants will be invited to fill out the four different forms.
Nutrition and dietetics knowledge is an integral part of health knowledge, with poor health outcomes related to low health literacy. Oman previously conducted a national NCD survey in 2017, which revealed that 67% of the adult population reported poor dietary habits and a prevalence of overweight and obesity. The survey also showed an increasing rate of malnutrition-related NCDs, i.e. cholesterol by 37% and diabetes by almost 16%. In addition, there is an increase in obesity and weight gain among children and adolescents in the country.
The situation in Oman is similar to that in the Eastern Mediterranean Region as a whole, where approximately 49% of adults are overweight or obese, with higher rates among women (53%) compared to men (more than 45%), and more than two in five deaths (45%) attributed to cardiovascular diseases.
Because of the significance of nutrition and its impact on people's lives, WHO developed the nutrition strategy 2020–2030, with the goal of eliminating all forms of malnutrition and improving nutrition throughout the life course by 2030.
Related links
Strategy on nutrition for the Eastern Mediterranean Region 2020–2030
Regional framework for action on obesity prevention 2019–2023