Chua Sook Ning, Fitzsimmons-Craft Ellen E, Austin S Bryn, Wilfley Denise E, Taylor C Barr
Relate Mental Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
School of Biological Sciences, College of Science, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
Int J Eat Disord. 2022 Jun;55(6):763-775. doi: 10.1002/eat.23711. Epub 2022 Apr 2.
Eating disorders (EDs) are debilitating health conditions and common across cultures. Recent reports suggest that about 14.0% of university students in Malaysia are at risk for developing an ED, and that prevalence may differ by ethnicity and gender. However, less is known about the prevalence of EDs in nonuniversity populations.
The current study seeks to (1) estimate the prevalence of EDs and ED risk status among adults in Malaysia using an established diagnostic screen; (2) examine gender and ethnic differences between ED diagnostic/risk status groups; and (3) characterize the clinical profile of individuals who screen positive for an ED.
We administered the Stanford-Washington University Eating Disorder Screen, an online ED screening tool, to adults in Malaysia in September 2020.
ED risk/diagnostic categories were assigned to 818 participants (ages 18-73 years) of which, 0.8% screened positive for anorexia nervosa, 1.4% for bulimia nervosa, 0.1% for binge-ED, 51.4% for other specified feeding or ED, and 4.8% for avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder. There was gender parity in the high risk and the overall ED categories. The point prevalence of positive eating pathology screening among Malays was significantly higher than Chinese but no different from Indians.
This is the first study to estimate the prevalence of EDs using a diagnostic screen in a population-based sample of Malaysians. It is concerning that over 50% of Malaysians reported symptoms of EDs. This study highlights the need to invest more resources in understanding and managing eating pathology in Malaysia.
This study estimates the prevalence of EDs among adults in Malaysia using an online EDs screen. Over 50% of Malaysians report symptoms of EDs. The study highlights the need for more resources and funding to address this important public health issue through surveillance, prevention, and treatment of EDs in Malaysia.
饮食失调（EDs）是使人衰弱的健康状况，且在不同文化中都很常见。最近的报告表明，马来西亚约14.0%的大学生有患饮食失调症的风险，而且患病率可能因种族和性别而异。然而，对于非大学生人群中饮食失调症的患病率了解较少。
本研究旨在（1）使用既定的诊断筛查方法估计马来西亚成年人中饮食失调症的患病率和饮食失调风险状况；（2）检查饮食失调诊断/风险状况组之间的性别和种族差异；（3）描述饮食失调筛查呈阳性的个体的临床特征。
2020年9月，我们向马来西亚成年人发放了斯坦福-华盛顿大学饮食失调筛查工具，这是一种在线饮食失调筛查工具。
818名参与者（年龄在18 - 73岁之间）被归入饮食失调风险/诊断类别，其中，0.8%的人神经性厌食症筛查呈阳性，1.4%的人神经性贪食症筛查呈阳性，0.1%的人暴饮暴食型饮食失调筛查呈阳性，51.4%的人患有其他特定的进食或饮食失调症，4.8%的人患有回避/限制性食物摄入障碍。在高风险和总体饮食失调类别中存在性别均等情况。马来人饮食病理学筛查呈阳性的时点患病率显著高于华人，但与印度人无差异。
这是第一项在以马来西亚人群为基础的样本中使用诊断筛查方法估计饮食失调症患病率的研究。令人担忧的是，超过50%的马来西亚人报告有饮食失调症状。本研究强调需要投入更多资源来了解和管理马来西亚的饮食病理学问题。
本研究使用在线饮食失调筛查工具估计了马来西亚成年人中饮食失调症的患病率。超过50%的马来西亚人报告有饮食失调症状。该研究强调需要更多资源和资金，通过在马来西亚对饮食失调症进行监测、预防和治疗来解决这一重要的公共卫生问题。
