Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Its Associated Risk Factors in Students of a Medical College Hospital in South India

Background and objectives Eating disorders are some of the most under-researched and difficult to diagnose psychiatric conditions, with a high mortality rate, especially among the adolescent age group. The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence and risk factors for eating disorders among students of a medical college hospital in South India. Materials and methods An observational, cross-sectional study was conducted among 332 students of four constituent colleges of a tertiary-care hospital selected by simple random sampling. Their height and weight were recorded. Four major questionnaires were distributed among the students - Demographic details, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT26), Body Shape Questionnaire (BSQ34), and Perceived Stress Scale (PSS). The results were tabulated and analyzed using SPSS software version 16.0 (IBM Corporation, Somers, New York, USA). Results The proportion of students who had a high risk for eating disorders was 13%. It was prevalent almost equally in both males and females. High risk for eating disorders was associated with high stress and severe body shape concerns (p<0.001). Other influencing factors were history of counselling, peer pressure, excessive exercise as well as the history of any behavioral symptoms like the use of laxatives and diet pills (p<0.001). Conclusions Eating disorder risk is prevalent in a high percentage of medical and paramedical students. High stress and body shape concerns are associated with eating disorders. Only if diagnosed early, with screening programs using questionnaires and further psychiatric evaluation, we can hope to mitigate the complications they incur.