Prevalence and Associated Factors of Eating Disorders Among Female Students at Jazan University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia: A Survey Study

Background and objective: Concerns about the incidence of eating disorders (EDs) among university students are spreading throughout the world. In Saudi Arabia, little is known about the prevalence and associated factors of EDs among female university students. Thus, this study investigated the prevalence, common types, and potential associated factors of EDs among female students of Jazan University. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between August 31, 2020, and November 2, 2020. The snowball technique was used to recruit female students via an electronic survey distributed in Arabic. The survey collected information about demographic characteristics, and SCOFF (Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food) and Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) scales. Cronbach's alpha for the SCOFF and EAT-26 scales was calculated to be 0.78 and 0.58, respectively, in this study. Results: A total of 566 female students participated in the survey, with a mean age of 22.12 ± 2.93 years. The results showed that 47.9% of participants were at risk for EDs based on SCOFF scores, while 26.5% were at risk based on EAT-26 scores. The most common types of EDs were bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Furthermore, the study identified several sociodemographic characteristics, including year of study (p = 0.042), college type (p = 0.004), body weight (p = 0.001), and BMI (p = 0.001), that are significantly associated with EDs. However, no significant relationships were observed between marital status (p = 0.103), age (p = 0.147), and height (p = 0.509) with SCOFF scores. Some students reported frequent binge eating, purging, or laxative/diet pill misuse. Conclusions: The study revealed a moderate to high prevalence of risk for EDs among female university students in Jazan, Saudi Arabia, associated with higher study years, college majors, and body weight and BMI. Dangerous ED behaviors reported by some students signal an urgent need for resources to identify and support those suffering from these disorders. Targeted interventions and services may help address this critical issue on campuses and support vulnerable students in need. Continued research and public health action are needed to curb the spread of these disorders.