Volume 25, Issue 117, November 2021

Eating disorders among Majmaah University Students, Saudi Arabia

Fahad Mohammad Alfhaid¹, Abdulaziz Saqer A Alanazi², Mohanned Mohammed R Alraddadi², Afrah Saleh M Alrashidi², Layla Shoqair O Alrashedi², Anas Mohammed Ali Alothaim², Mohammed Abdullah M Alqarni², Mubarak Ali M Almanaah²

¹Associate professor of family medicine, Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia
²Medical intern, Faculty of Medicine, Majmaah University, Majmaah City, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT

Background: Eating disorders (ED) are one of the most prevalent mental issues that today's teenagers confront, characterized by a distorted attitude toward weight and form, as well as a distorted sense of body shape. The purpose of this study is to identify the prevalence of eating disorders in students at Majmaah University in the KSA and the variables that affect them. Methodology: Majmaah University students were selected for this cross-sectional study. Subjects will be asked to complete a previously tested questionnaire about socioeconomic status, eating habits, Eating Attitudes Test 26 (EAT 26), height, weight, and BMI. Results: Of the 516 students, 82.2% of the survey participants are between the ages of 20 and 30. 62.8% were male and 37.2% were male. 28.6% of the participating students were at high risk of ED and 71.4% were at low risk of ED. There was a significant correlation between male gender (P = 0.001), BMI (P = 0.02), and risk of ED due to current smoking status (P = 0.001). Conclusion: In summary, the ED risk reported among college students in this study is below the reported figures, but relatively high compared to the global figures. This study highlights an underestimated health problem among Saudi Arabian college students.

Keywords: eating disorders, mental issues, teenagers, Majmaah University Students, Saudi Arabia

Medical Science, 2021, 25(117), 3007-3016

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