Eating Disorder Risk and Factors Associated with Obesity Prejudice Among University Students: A cross-sectional descriptive study

Abstract

Introduction: The aim of this study is to evaluate eating disorder risk and factors associated with obesity prejudice among university students. Methodology: This cross-sectional descriptive study was consisted of 1449 university students in Turkey. Anthropometric measurements were self-reported and eating disorder and obesity prejudice symptoms were measured via validated scales. Results: Prevalence of students at low risk for eating disorder was 88.2%, while 60.3% of them were prone to obesity prejudice and 27% of them were obesity prejudiced. The mean eating disorder scores of the underweight and the normal weight group were significantly lower than the overweight group (p = 0.003 and p = 0.019, respectively). The difference between the mean obesity prejudice scores of the normal weight group and the overweight group was found to be significant (p = 0.002). Moreover, in the multiple linear regression analysis, the overweight group had a significant association with obesity prejudice (p<0.001). Conclusion: The risk of eating disorder and obesity prejudice increases among overweight/obese university students. Early prediction of eating disorder and obesity prejudice is crucial to prevent health problems such as obesity and related diseases among university students.