Dietary Patterns Associated with Breast Cancer in the Middle East: A Scoping Review.

Breast cancer (BC) is the most predominant malignancy in Arab women in the Middle East, and yearly increases in occurrence by 37.5 and mortality rates by 15.2 for every 100,000 in 2019. This review explores the gap in research investigating the role of dietary patterns and BC in Middle Eastern countries. Furthermore, we analyze the evidence connecting these patterns to BC prevalence in the region, discussing implications for public health and preventive strategies. PubMed, ProQuest, and Cochrane databases were searched up to November 2023. Articles published in English from 2000 to 2023 were identified. Our search included dietary patterns (DP), their association with BC and specific to Middle Eastern Regions. The majority of existing research is concentrated in Iran, with limited illustration from Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Jordan, and a notable absence of studies from other Middle Eastern countries. We found that dietary intervention is closely related to the occurrence, development, and prognosis of BC. Most DPs such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, Mediterranean, Plant-based and Paleolithic diets are identified to decrease the probability of BC by being rich sources of fiber, healthy fats, and vitamins and minerals. However, there are few DPs that increase the risk of BC, because of the existence of foods such as unhealthy fats, low fiber, sugars, and fried foods in those patterns which contribute to increasing the risk factors associated with BC. This review highlights the intricate connection between DPs and the risk of BC in the Middle East, revealing potential protective effects and heightened risks linked to specific dietary elements.

The attitudes and practices of United Arab Emirates consumers towards food waste: A nationwide cross-sectional study.

Background: Reducing global food waste is an international environmental, health, and sus-tainability priority. Although significant reductions have been achieved across the food chain, progress by UAE households and consumers remain inadequate. This study seeks to understand the association between consumer attitudes, knowledge, and awareness relating to food waste practice of residents living in the UAE. to help inform policy and action for addressing this national priority. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated semi-structured online questionnaire through stratified sampling (n =1052). The Spearman correlation coefficient was performed to determine the correlations. Two independent regression analysis were used to determine the association between food waste practice with: 1) knowledge and awareness and attitude subdomains, and 2) sociodemographic characteristics. Respondents (n=1072) largely reflect the socio-demographic characteristics and population distribution across the seven Emirates. Results: As expected, a significant and negative correlation was found between food waste practice knowledge and awareness and overall attitude. The regression models showed reduced food waste practice was associated with better knowledge, personal attitude, financial attitude (first model), older age and fewer adults in the household (second model). We found a significant and negative association of personal attitude (a commitment, intention), financial attitude (cost-saving motivation), and (existing) knowledge of Food waste (FW) with practice of food waste, indicating that better knowledge about FW, personal attitude or financial attitude was associated with reduction in undesirable food waste practice. While awareness and emotional attitude (moral concerns) were positively and significantly associated with food waste practice (undesirable behaviour). Conclusions: Food waste poses significant challenges in the UAE, and addressing it requires a comprehensive understanding of the multifaceted factors influencing consumer behavior. By promoting knowledge, fostering positive attitudes, and considering socio-cultural factors, policymakers can develop effective strategies to reduce food waste in households and contribute to sustainable development goals.