EATING DISORDERS AMONG ALEXANDRIA UNIVERSITY MEDICAL STUDENTS: PREVALENCE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS, 2024

Document Type : Preliminary preprint short reports of original research

Authors

1 Department of Community Medicine – Faculty of Medicine

2 Department of Psychiatry – Faculty of Medicine

3 Department of Nutrition – High Institute of Public Health

4 Department of Community Medicine – Faculty of Medicine

Abstract

Eating disorders (EDs) are psychiatric conditions that significantly impair physical and psychological well-being. Medical students are particularly vulnerable due toacademic stress and lifestyle factors. Based on DSM-5 and ICD-11, EDs include Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Other Specified Feeding or EatingDisorder, and Unspecified Feeding or Eating Disorder. Globally, EDs are on the rise, with risk factors such as young age, female gender, sociocultural influences, and psychological traits like anxiety and perfectionism. EDs often co-occur with psychiatric disorders and can lead to severe medical complications and high mortality. Early detection among medical students is essential.

AIM:
To assess the prevalence of eating disorders among medical students at Alexandria University and explore the associated demographic, psychological, and behavioral factors contributing to ED risk.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS:
A cross-sectional study was conducted on 372 medical students (2024–2025) using stratified random sampling. Three tools were used:
1. A structured self-administered questionnaire covering socio-demographics, behaviors, medical & family history as well as self-reported BMI.
2. EAT-26 scale to assess EDs symptoms and behaviors (cutoff score: 20).
3. DASS-21 to measure depression, anxiety, and stress levels.

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