Eating Disorders among Iranian Male Adolescents

Abstract

Objectives: Eating disorders are important health issues of body image disturbances. These disorders are not limited to Western countries or females. The current study aimed to investigate the prevalence of eating disorders among Iranian male adolescents and the associated factors. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional survey was conducted on 433 male high school students. The study assessed the effects of demographic characteristics, social pressures from family and friends, self-esteem, body satisfaction and media on eating disorders. Results are presented in terms of odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI). P-values less than 0.05 were considered as statistically significant. Results: About 15% of male adolescents had eating disorders. There were significant differences between the two groups (with and without eating disorders) in terms of social pressure, body dissatisfaction and body mass index (BMI). Body dissatisfaction (OR = 1.23, 95% CI: 1.01-1.50) and BMI (OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 1.06-1.21) were identified as predictive factors in eating disorders. Conclusions: The results indicated the need for more attention to eating disorders and predictive factors in Iranian adolescents as an example of Asian cultures.