At Smart Salem, we believe that better health starts with better information, so we partnered with YouGov to survey 1,067 people representative of the UAE population and asked them about their health habits, their barriers to screening, and their experiences with burnout.
Here's what the data revealed, and what it means for you.
Most People Know They Should Get Checked. Many Still Don't.
When it comes to attitudes, people in the UAE are largely on the right page. A strong majority understand the importance of preventative health:
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79% agree adults should have an annual check-up even when feeling healthy |
70% agree you can have serious health issues without any symptoms |
72% say they put their health above work priorities |
These are encouraging numbers. But attitudes and actions don't always match up. While 79% have had some form of health check in the last year, the picture gets more nuanced when you look at specific tests:
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33% have never had a hormone test |
24% have never received nutritional advice |
25% have never had a vitamin level test (e.g. Vitamin D, B12) |
These aren't niche tests. Hormone imbalances, vitamin deficiencies, and poor nutritional guidance are some of the most common, and most overlooked, contributors to poor health, fatigue, and reduced quality of life. And yet significant proportions of people have never had them checked.
Knowing you should get checked and actually getting the right checks are two very different things.
So What's Stopping People?
We asked people directly what gets in the way of regular health check-ups. Cost came out on top, but the barriers are layered and worth unpacking.
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49% said cost was the main barrier |
36% said feeling healthy / no symptoms |
34% cited lack of time |
33% said not covered by insurance |
1. The complacency trap
Nearly four in ten people skip health checks simply because they feel fine. This is one of the most dangerous assumptions in healthcare. As Smart Salem's own clinical cases show repeatedly, some of the most serious conditions, liver damage, severe nutritional deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, produce no obvious symptoms until they become a real crisis.
Among higher earners (those on AED 40,000+ per month), feeling healthy was actually the number one reason for not getting checked (46%). The people with the most resources to invest in their health are often the least likely to use them proactively.
2. Fear is a real barrier
One in five people said fear of what the results might reveal was the main reason they hadn't been tested. It's a completely understandable feeling, but consider the alternative. Catching something early is almost always better than finding out later when options are fewer and consequences are greater.
A result that changes your life in a doctor's office is far better than one that changes it in an emergency room.
Burnout Is Everywhere & It's Costing People at Work
Burnout might be one of the most talked-about topics in workplaces today, but the scale of it in the UAE still warrants attention.
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40% experienced burnout in the last 12 months |
87% said it impacted their work performance |
62% reported stress and anxiety as the most common symptom |
Four in ten people in the UAE experienced burnout in the past 12 months. Of those, 87% said it had a direct impact on their ability to perform at work & 39% saying the impact was significant.
Who is most affected?
The data tells a clear story about who is carrying the heaviest load:
- Women are significantly more affected than men: 53% of women reported burnout compared to 34% of men, and on every symptom category, women reported higher rates than men.
- Young professionals are hit hardest: the 24–34 age group had the highest burnout incidence at 54%.
- High earners are not protected: those on AED 40,000+ reported the highest incidence by income group (52%), suggesting that seniority and salary don't shield you from burnout.
The physical symptoms people experience
Burnout isn't just a feeling because it often shows physically up in the body. Among those who experienced burnout, the most commonly reported physical symptoms were:
- Stress and/or anxiety: 62%
- Sleep disturbances (difficulty falling or staying asleep): 58%
- Fatigue or low energy despite adequate rest: 51%
- Frequent headaches: 42%
- Digestive issues: 38%
What's critical to understand is that several of these symptoms, particularly fatigue, sleep disturbances, and low energy, can also be signs of nutritional deficiencies like low folate or Vitamin D. Without a proper health screening, it's almost impossible to know whether you're burned out, nutritionally depleted, or both.
If you've been feeling exhausted, wired, or just not yourself then your body might be asking for more than just a holiday.
People Want Their Employers to Take the Lead
One of the most striking findings from the survey is how strongly people look to their employers to help bridge the gap between good intentions and action.
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79% agree employers should offer regular health check-ups as part of wellness programmes |
74% would take health checks more seriously if their employer encouraged or subsidised them |
Nearly 8 in 10 people believe employers should include regular health check-ups in their wellness programmes. And three-quarters say employer encouragement or subsidisation would directly change their behaviour.
This matters because the two biggest barriers, cost and time, are exactly the things employers are well-placed to address. When a company makes health screening easy, affordable, and normalised, people actually do it.
The business case is just as strong as the human one. Healthy employees are more focused, more resilient, and less likely to take extended sick leave. Proactive health investment pays for itself in productivity alone.
Healthy teams don't happen by accident. They happen when organisations make health a genuine priority and not just a bullet point in a wellness policy.
What This Means for You
The data paints a clear picture, which is that people in the UAE understand the importance of their health. They know symptoms can be absent even when something serious is wrong. But cost, time, complacency, and fear continue to get in the way and the specific tests that matter most (vitamins, hormones, nutritional guidance) remain the most overlooked.
At Smart Salem, we exist to change that. Our health screenings use advanced diagnostics, robotics, and expert clinical guidance to give you a comprehensive, personalised picture of your health, all efficiently, comfortably, and in a way that actually leads to action.
Whether you're an individual looking to take control of your own health, or an employer who wants to build a healthier, higher-performing team then Smart Salem is ready to be your partner. Because the best time to find out what your body is hiding is before it becomes a problem.