Associations between smoking habits and weight-related behaviors among people who smoke in the United Arab Emirates: a cross-sectional study

Background Smoking is one of the leading global public health problems, and is complicated by multiple reasons for its prevalence and associated health problems. An understanding of the influence of smoking activity on weight management is essential to formulate successful health programs. Aim The objective of the present study was the investigation of the association between smoking habits and weight management among adult people who smoke in the UAE. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted with 232 participants who completed a 36-item questionnaire assessing their smoking habits and weight management practices. Results The sample consisted mostly of males (75.4%) aged 21–40 years, with the majority from Dubai (58.6%). There were statistically significant relationships between people who smoke, smoking duration, and frequency of weight management ( p = 0.023), tobacco use and self-reported weight changes ( p = 0.029), and smoking duration and BMI categories ( p = 0.043). Conversely, shorter smoking exposure periods (<1 year) were associated with more variable BMI tracking and weight-based surveillance, as well as a higher likelihood of maintaining a normal BMI. Those who smoked weekly were more likely to report both perceived weight change and no weight change. Conclusions These findings indicated that smoking prevalence is associated with weight-control behavior and BMI, especially among beginning people who smoke. In addition, smoking-cessation interventions must take a proactive approach to address weight concerns and self-monitoring behaviors earlier in the smoking process.