Belhaj Salem Siwar, Idrissi Fatima Ezzahraa El, Fikry Mohamed Ahmed, Khrais Husam, Jad Rawan Elwalid, Haq Umair Ul, Jouini Jaafer Ammar, Roble Ramla Mohamed Farah, Haidar Ronahy, Zaouali Fatma, Janem Abdullah, Salameh Hossam, Jamaleddin Ruzan, Elsayed Alaa Mohamed, Hussain Fidha, Mohammed Yasmine Adel, Hagali Abeer, Yassin Zeyad, Almansour Shahd, Bahsas Farah, AlMahder Dana, Khan Muhammad Shoaib
Department of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Faculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dental Medicine of Fez - Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
Brain Behav. 2025 Mar;15(3):e70417. doi: 10.1002/brb3.70417.
Eating disorders (EDs) are a group of mental diseases marked by disrupted eating behaviors, and are associated with several factors. Medical students are highly exposed to this mental disorder with a prevalence of 17.35% in 2022.
To evaluate the risk of EDs and its associated factors among medical students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.
A web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in the MENA region during the months of June and July 2024. The primary data collection instrument was a comprehensive questionnaire that contained the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and sociodemographic and clinical features and designed using Google Forms and distributed via social media platforms.
The total number of participants was 5061. The mean age in our population was 22.58 ± 3.27. Our population's average EAT-26 score was 13.87 ± 10.7, with ranges varying from 0 to 72. Based on their EAT-26 scores being 20 or above, 1254 people (24.8%) were deemed to be at risk of EDs. Among the participants, 8% were underweight. The multivariable logistic regression model revealed several eating disorder risk factors such as T1DM, schizophrenia, autism, female gender, IBD, and daily exposure to thin body ideal. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction were protective factors.
There exists a higher prevalence of individuals at risk for the development of EDs in the MENA region especially females, students with comorbidities, and those having conflictual relationships with their parents. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction are protective factors.
饮食失调是一组以饮食行为紊乱为特征的精神疾病，与多种因素相关。医学生极易患上这种精神障碍，2022年的患病率为17.35%。
评估中东和北非（MENA）地区医学生饮食失调的风险及其相关因素。
2024年6月和7月期间，对MENA地区的医学生进行了一项基于网络的横断面研究。主要数据收集工具是一份综合问卷，其中包含饮食态度测试（EAT-26）以及社会人口统计学和临床特征，该问卷使用谷歌表单设计，并通过社交媒体平台分发。
参与者总数为5061人。我们研究人群的平均年龄为22.58±3.27岁。我们研究人群的EAT-26平均得分为13.87±10.7，范围从0到72。根据他们的EAT-26得分在20分及以上，1254人（24.8%）被认为有饮食失调的风险。在参与者中，8%的人体重过轻。多变量逻辑回归模型揭示了几个饮食失调风险因素，如1型糖尿病、精神分裂症、自闭症、女性、炎症性肠病以及每天接触瘦身理想形象。经常进行体育锻炼和对体重满意是保护因素。
在MENA地区，尤其是女性、患有合并症的学生以及与父母关系冲突的学生中，有饮食失调风险的个体患病率较高。经常进行体育锻炼和对体重满意是保护因素。
