scholarly journals Disordered Eating Attitudes, Demographics, and Snack Patterns in Overweight and Obese US College Students

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. 460-460
Author(s):  
Rianna Uddin ◽  
Lukkamol Prapkree ◽  
Jafar Ali Ajaj Jaafar ◽  
Cristina Palacios
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Stress Level ◽  
Eating Behaviors ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Funding Sources ◽  
Internal Funds ◽  
Level Scale ◽  
Florida International University ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes

Abstract Objectives An unhealthy snack pattern may impact a person's overall health and quality of life. College students are at risk for disordered eating attitudes (DEA) due the elevated mental and physical demands of higher education. This could lead to a greater snack intake that could replace meals. DEA could also be influenced by demographics. Our objective was to evaluate the association between DEA, snack patterns, stress level, and demographics. Methods We analyzed the baseline data from the Snackability Trial, a trial among overweight and obese students from US colleges to test the effects of using the Snackability app to choose healthier snacks compared to controls (no access to the app). Students are being recruited using flyers sent via email by college professors/staff and social media since June 2020. Participants completed questionnaires at baseline (before randomization) on demographics (age, gender, race, ethnicity, income), snack eating patterns, stress level (scale from 1–10 with 10 being the most stressed), and DEA Score (a validated score assessing eating attitudes with 25 questions related to perceptions of food; higher DEA scores indicate higher DEA with the minimum possible score of 37 and maximum of 190). Descriptive statistics included frequency and mean/standard deviation of all variables. ANOVA and Pearson Correlations were used to evaluate the associations between variables. Results A total of 135 have completed thus far all baseline questionnaires. The average age was 21.5 ± 2.01 years, most students were female (83.7%), Hispanic/Latino (52.6%), and with a household income of <$50,000 (60.0%). Average DEAS was 90.4 ± 19.1, daily snack intake was 2.33 ± 1.08, and stress score was 6.78 ± 1.97. DEAS score was not associated with demographic variables or snack intake, but there was a significant correlation between DEAS and stress level (r = 0.3; P < 0.001). Conclusions Students who have a higher level of stress are more likely to have DEA. Disordered eating is an umbrella of irregular eating behaviors that may or may not warrant a diagnosis of a specific eating disorder. Based on these findings, universities may need to develop interventions for college students to manage stress as well as promoting awareness and programs for students with high levels of disordered eating. Funding Sources Internal funds from Florida International University.

scholarly journals Disordered Eating Attitudes and Exercise Behavior among Female Emirati College Students in the United Arab Emirates: A Cross- Sectional Study

2017 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haleama Al Sabbah ◽  
Shatha Muhsineh
Keyword(s):  
Physical Activity ◽  
College Students ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
United Arab Emirates ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Activity Level ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes

Background: Growing evidence is showing high levels of physical inactivity and disordered eating attitudes among young females in the United Arab Emirates. This is clearly concerning, but little is known about the activity level of those with disordered eating attitudes and their dieting behavior. This study examines the female Emirati college students’ disordered eating attitudes and its relation to exercise behavior.Method: A cross- sectional study using a validated and reliable questionnaire was conducted on 242 Emirati female students attending a public university in Dubai. Eating Attitudes Test- 26 (EAT26) was used to measure eating attitudes and the short International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) was included to measure physical activity level. A systematic random sampling from a list of classes in the fall 2014 semester was used for recruitment. The university’s Research Ethics Committee approved the study and consents were obtained from participants. SPSS v.21 was used for data analysis. Chi-square test was used to compare frequencies. Significance level was set at 0.05.Results: The participants’ mean age and standard deviation (Mean± SD) was 19 ±1.3 years. 31.4% of the participants showed disordered eating attitudes. The percentage of participants engaged in at least one concerning behavior in the past six months was 43.8%. A membership in a health club was significantly related to disordered eating attitudes (p <0.01). A high level of physical activity was correlated with laxative use, over the counter supplements, and exercising for more than 60 minutes to control weight (p<0.05). Conclusion: There is a great need for intervention programs and policies to contain the level of abnormal eating attitudes and promote healthy level of physical activity among college students.

scholarly journals Disordered eating attitudes correlate with body dissatisfaction among Kuwaiti male college students

2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariam Ebrahim ◽  
Dalal Alkazemi ◽  
Tasleem A. Zafar ◽  
Stan Kubow
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Body Dissatisfaction ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Body Fat ◽  
Body Image Dissatisfaction ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Male College ◽  
Eat 26 ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes ◽  
Male College Students

Abstract Background The prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction based on muscularity and body fat was investigated among male college students in Kuwait with a range of body mass index values including underweight, normal weight, overweight, and obese participants. Methods Data were collected, using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and the Bodybuilder Image Grid (BIG), from 400 male undergraduate students (84.8% Kuwaiti nationals) recruited from both public and private universities in Kuwait. An anonymous, self-administered questionnaire was used to determine the prevalence of symptomatology indicative of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa and to examine the associations between body dissatisfaction and muscularity and body fat. Results Most participants were dissatisfied with their current muscle mass and body fat (67.3 and 69%, respectively). Logistic regression analyses produced odds ratios (ORs) demonstrating that students dissatisfied with their muscularity and body fat and those who indicated a desire to decrease both muscularity and body fat had significantly higher odds of being at risk of disordered eating attitudes (OR = 2.241, 95% CI [1.17, 3.6], p = .032, and OR = 1.898, 95% CI [1.214, 2.967], p = .005, respectively). Obese participants also had higher odds of exhibiting disordered eating attitudes (OR = 2.06, 95% CI [1.17, 3.60], p = .011). Conclusion The high proportion of disordered eating attitudes among Kuwaiti college men was associated with high levels of body image dissatisfaction in relation to both body fat and muscularity. High levels of eating disorder symptoms were also linked to obesity.

Screening disordered eating attitudes and eating disorders in a sample of Turkish female college students

2006 ◽  
Vol 47 (2) ◽  
pp. 123-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Özcan Uzun ◽  
Nurdan Güleç ◽  
Aytekin Özşahin ◽  
Ali Doruk ◽  
Barbaros Özdemir ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Female College ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes

scholarly journals Young urban women and the nutrition transition in Jordan

2010 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-604 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hala N Madanat ◽  
Ryan Lindsay ◽  
Tiffany Campbell
Keyword(s):  
College Students ◽  
Eating Disorders ◽  
Disordered Eating ◽  
Nutrition Transition ◽  
Body Esteem ◽  
Eating Attitudes ◽  
Restrained Eating ◽  
Female College Students ◽  
Female College ◽  
Disordered Eating Attitudes

AbstractObjectiveTo determine the nutrition transition stage of female Jordanian college students.DesignA cross-sectional survey was used to assess eating styles, disordered eating attitudes and behaviours, body esteem and dissatisfaction, and media influence.SettingPublic and private universities in Jordan.SubjectsA total of 255 subjects were recruited through a government-initiated youth campaign.ResultsThe majority of participants had a normal BMI (70·6 %) with almost all (99·4 %) reporting restrained eating behaviour. Scores on the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) indicated that 45·2 % of these female college students should be screening for eating disorders. Subscales of the Body Esteem Scale (BES) showed that these women did not have substantial body esteem issues and mean scores on the Sociocultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire (SATAQ-3) indicated that overall these women did not feel the media was dictating the way their body should look. Where Jordanian women did feel pressure from Western media, there was a 6·7-fold increase in the likelihood that they wanted to lose weight. In addition, 48·2 % of the female college students desired to lose weight and 14·4 % desired weight gain, indicating a certain level of body dissatisfaction.ConclusionsWith low levels of overweight and obesity and a propensity towards eating based on external hunger cues, college-aged Jordanian women may be less advanced in their development through the nutrition transition than the general population of women. However, high levels of restrained eating and disordered eating attitudes and behaviours indicate the need for an intervention to address healthy weight-loss strategies, assess eating disorders and help maintain healthy body esteem.

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