The Presentation of Eating Disorders in Saudi Arabia

Objective: There is lack of information on the presentation of eating disorders (EDs) in Saudi Arabia using gold standard clinical tools. The present study aimed to provide data on the presentation of EDs in Saudi Arabia using clinically validated measures.Method: Hundred and thirty-three individuals (33 male) with a mean age of 22 years (2.63) completed three measures: the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE), a semi-structured interview, the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q), a self-report measure, and the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) to measure comorbid symptoms.Results: Individuals in Saudi Arabia reported higher levels of restraint, eating concern and shape concern and a higher global score, but lower levels of weight concern on the EDE-Q compared to the EDE. Female participants reported a higher global score, alongside significantly higher scores on the restraint, shape concern and weight concern subscales than males. The most common ED subtype was other specific feeding or ED. Compared with Western community samples, symptom severity in this purposive sample obtained from community settings was significantly higher in this sample.Discussion: Individuals with eating, weight and shape concerns in Saudi Arabia may feel more comfortable expressing their symptoms on a self-report tool compared with a face to face interview. However, it is possible that a self-report measure may over-estimate the severity of symptoms. The data suggest that clinicians in Saudi Arabia should regularly screen for EDs in all genders. It is also important to note that ED symptoms are a cause for concern in young people in Saudi Arabia.

Community norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among gender-expansive populations

Purpose Gender-expansive individuals (i.e., those who identify outside of the binary system of man or woman) are a marginalized group that faces discrimination and have a high burden of mental health problems, but there is a paucity of research on eating disorders in this population. This study aimed to describe the community norms for the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) in gender-expansive populations. Methods The participants were 988 gender-expansive individuals (defined as neither exclusively cisgender nor binary transgender) from The PRIDE study, an existing longitudinal cohort study of health outcomes in sexual and gender minority people. Results We present the mean scores, standard deviations, and percentile ranks for the Global score and four subscale scores of the EDE-Q in this group as a whole and stratified by sex assigned at birth. Gender-expansive individuals reported any occurrence (≥1/28 days) of dietary restraint (23.0%), objective binge episodes (12.9%), excessive exercise (7.4%), self-induced vomiting (1.4%), or laxative misuse (1.2%). We found no statistically significant differences by sex assigned at birth. Compared to a prior study of transgender men and women, there were no significant differences in eating attitudes or disordered eating behaviors noted between gender-expansive individuals and transgender men. Transgender women reported higher Restraint and Shape Concern subscale scores compared to gender-expansive individuals. Compared to a prior study of presumed cisgender men 18–26 years, our age-matched gender-expansive sample had higher Eating, Weight, and Shape Concern subscales and Global Score, but reported a lower frequency of objective binge episodes and excessive exercise. Compared to a prior study of presumed cisgender women 18–25 years, our age-matched gender-expansive sample had a higher Shape Concern subscale score, a lower Restraint subscale score, and lower frequencies of self-induced vomiting, laxative misuse, and excessive exercise. Conclusions Gender-expansive individuals reported lower Restraint and Shape Concern scores than transgender women; higher Eating, Weight, and Shape Concern scores than presumed cisgender men; and lower Restraint but higher Shape Concern scores than presumed cisgender women. These norms can help clinicians in treating this population and interpreting the EDE-Q scores of their gender-expansive patients.

Exploring eating and exercise-related indicators during COVID-19 quarantine: Concerns and routine changes in women with different BMI

Purpose. The present study aimed to understand how quarantine associated to COVID-19 was experienced by women from different BMI groups (underweight, normal weight, pre-obesity, and obesity), by exploring the changes introduced in eating and exercise routines and the differences between BMI groups regarding shape concern, weight concern and binge eating behaviours reported during this time.Methods. This study comprised 580 women aged between 18 and 65 years old, who completed self-report measures, during the mandatory confinement in Portugal due to COVID-19. The total sample was divided into four groups, according to their BMI.Results. Results revealed that overall, there were no significant differences between the groups regarding the eating and exercise routine changes introduced during quarantine. However, significant differences between the four groups were found in the reported body and eating-related difficulties (shape concern, weight concern and binge eating behaviours), with the pre-obesity and obesity groups presenting significant higher levels. Conclusions. Our study suggests that, even though the changes introduced to the eating and exercise routine are independent from BMI, the pre-obesity and obesity group represent a major vulnerability group for the development of eating disorders. We hope this study allows professionals to understand the need to develop different guidelines and strategies for the pre-obesity and obesity female population during the deconfinement period. Level of evidence. Level V - Descriptive study.

Structural Equation Modeling to Evaluate the Effect of Body Shape Concern and Body Appreciation on Eating Behavior Pattern among University Students

The article's abstract is not available.

Norms for Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) among Secondary School Students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Introduction: The Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) has been widely used as a tool to detect eating disorders. We aimed to identify the EDE-Q normative data among secondary school students in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study involving four secondary schools in an urban area. The respondents of secondary school students were selected using stratified sampling. Results: There were 298 teenagers 12 to 17 years of age who participated in the study. The EDE-Q mean scores ± standard deviation was 1.27 ± 1.08 for the total score (Global Score), 0.78 ± 0.95 for Restraint Domain, 1.02 ± 1.03 for Eating Concern, 1.76 ± 1.55 for Shape Concern and 1.54 ± 1.43 for Weight Concern. Conclusion: Mean values obtained from this study were relatively lower when compared to western populations. Shape Concern and Weight Concern had higher scores compared to the other domains. These values are useful for EDE-Q interpretation in Malaysia.

How are body mass and body attitude impacted by a behaviour change intervention in primary care? A pragmatic randomised controlled trial

Aims:This study evaluated the effect of behaviour change interventions at Norwegian Healthy Life Centres on change in body mass index (BMI) and body attitude, and explored the predictors for change after 6 months. Methods: We randomised 118 participants to either an intervention or a control group. Eligible participants: ⩾18 years and able to take part in group-based interventions. Body attitude, weight, and height were assessed at inclusion and after 6 months. We analysed the data using simple and multiple regression. Results: Eighty-six participants completed 6-month follow-up. The study found no intervention effect on BMI or body attitude across the two groups. However, an interaction effect indicated that the leaner participants in the intervention group reduced their weight significantly ( b 0.94, p < 0.001). BMI reduction was predicted by self-efficacy for physical activity and autonomous motivation for change. Weight loss was associated with impaired body attitude, body shape concern, impaired weight-related self-esteem, weight cycling, and controlled motivation for change. Improvement in body attitude was positively impacted by self-rated health, the experience of childhood respect, life satisfaction, and self-efficacy for physical activity. Impaired body attitude was predicted by body shape concern, impaired weight-related self-esteem, and controlled motivation. Conclusions: The interventions did not affect body mass on average, but promoted weight loss among the leaner participants. Because weight reduction was associated body shape concern and impaired body attitude, the study supports the claim that interventions should be weight neutral and aim to improve body image and psychological well-being rather than weight reduction.

Body Image and Eating Disturbances in Children: The Role of Self-Objectification

Self-objectification has been implicated in the development of body image disturbances and disordered eating among adults and adolescents. Empirical research exploring these associations among children is limited. Given body image and eating disturbances have been observed in a significant proportion of children, elucidating the factors associated with these disturbances among members of this population segment is important to informing prevention and intervention efforts. Accordingly, we cross-sectionally examined the association between self-objectification and body image and eating disturbances in 219 Australian 6- to 11-year-olds (57% classified as female children; average age = 8.37 years, SD = 1.42). Significant associations were observed between measures of self-objectification and body surveillance; body surveillance and both body shame and weight/shape concern; and weight/shape concern and dietary restraint. Results suggest early interventions targeting poor body image may need to address self-objectification, although further research is needed to firmly establish self-objectification as a risk factor for poor body image in children. Practitioners could utilize resources specifically developed for children, which encourage positive body esteem, build body confidence, support healthy relationships with food and exercise, and promote activities encouraging individuals to be attuned to how their bodies feel rather than how they look.