Vitality and wellness ratings improve for Emiratis, expats

UAE locals and expatriate residents have improved their vitality and wellness ratings, according to the 2025 edition of an annual international health study which a USA-founded multi-national for-profit managed healthcare and insurance company, has been conducting since 2023.

The community’s global standing, compared to 12 other countries or markets, serviced by Cigna Healthcare, was released and discussed in Dubai on Tuesday led by Cigna Healthcare Middle East and Africa (excluding Saudi Arabia) chief executive officer Leah Cotterhill, in collaboration with the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai.

Total respondents, from age 18 and above, for the “Cigna Healthcare International Health Study 2025,” accomplished by way of a 22-minute online questionnaire survey between May 5 and 30, 2025, were 11,804. Representing the Middle East, those in the UAE were at 1,000 sliced into 113 Emiratis and 887 expatriates while their counterparts in Saudi Arabia, 750.

From North America and specifically from the USA, 1,851. From Europe, UK at 1,203 and Spain, 1,000 while the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium at 500 each. There were 4,000 respondents from the Asia-Pacific region with Singapore, Japan, South Korea and HongKong at 1,000 each. From Kenya for Africa, 500.

Undertaken annually since 2023, Cotterhill told Gulf Today management partnered with American clinical psychologist-professor-author Dr. Richard Ryan who created the Evernorth Vitality Index, using his Self-Determination Theory (SDT) and Subjective Vitality Scales: “We want a rounded view of how people feel and function day to day; in order that employers, healthcare providers and communities can act on what most improves the quality of life.”

With the SDT and SVS concerns on relatedness, autonomy and competence, is the Vitality Score (VS).

The VS is calculated “from the people’s answers to evidence-based questions about their daily energy, motivation and satisfaction. The result is a single score from zero to 100. The higher the score, the higher the person’s over-all sense of vitality and ability to thrive. A strong VS means people have balance, energy, and purpose in their daily lives.”

“In the context of the study, vitality and well-being are the holistic integration of emotional, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social and spiritual health that enables individuals to feel, function and thrive. As per our mission, we want to better understand and support individuals in achieving balance and resilience in today’s demanding, fast-paced world, and improve health and vitality worldwide,” Cotterhill said.

The 2025 conclusions shall also be shared with “corporate leaders and employers.”

The three studies have concentrated on the populations’ vitality and well-being across physical, mental, financial, family and work dimensions because “Well-being is multi-dimensional and not only about physical health. Financial stress affects sleep and mental health. Work pressures influence family relationships. Looking at them together helps us see the full picture of well-being and identify the most effective points of intervention.”

From the 2023 to 2025 annual research surveys, the topmost observed outcome and insight revolve around mental healthiness akin to the definition of over-all health.

The other two are increasing preventive health awareness, and that “supportive flexible environments and empathetic leadership directly improve vitality and mental health.”

Cotterhill emphasised as well that younger adults have continually demonstrated high levels of stress and burn-out,“while older groups report stronger emotional balance.”

Without naming the world’s leader in terms of vitality and well-being for 2025, Cotterhill noted that the UAE VS rose to 73.3 from the 2024 VS of 72.5.

From the interview, Cotterhill explained that the improved VS from the 1,000 UAE respondents “reflects a mix of strong national policies, community culture, and personal commitment to healthier lifestyles. Mental, financial, and physical vitality have all improved while the other markets are seeing a decline.”

“From workplace well-being programmes to the government’s digital health investments, well-being is becoming part of daily life,” she also said.

According to Cotterhill, vital to the UAE’s being number two in the 2025 global health research are the Federal Mental Health Law, Dubai Mental Health Framework, Active Abu Dhabi Programme, Parent-Friendly Label, and the Dubai Fitness Challenge.