The relationship between the risk of eating disorder and meal patterns in University students

Purpose: This study was carried out to evaluate the relation between meal patterns and the risk of eating disorders in university students. Methods: The study was conducted on a total of 331 volunteer students with a mean age of 22.08 ± 1.80 years, 56.5% female. Participants’ sociodemographic characteristics, health information and eating habits like meal skipping and dieting were questioned. Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food (SCOFF) Eating Disorders Scale and Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) were used to determine eating behavior disorders, with face to face interviews by the researches. Results: A significant correlation was found between dieting and skipping meals and the risk of eating disorders in both genders (p < 0.05). In addition, when the reasons for skipping meals were questioned, a significant relationship was detected between skipping meals and eating behaviour disorders by 3.285 times (p = 0.000). Also, every unit of increase in body mass index (BMI) values of individuals who participated to the study led to an increase in eating disorders by a factor of 1.262 (p = 0.000). Conclusions: Our findings support concerns about the negative health effects of increasing overweight among university students in accordance with the data that the increase in BMI values led to an increase in eating disorders. Notably a significant correlation was found between dieting, skipping meals and the risk of eating disorders in both genders it is highlighting the need for monitoring and early diagnosis of eating disorders in youth with simple scales like SCOFF. Level of evidence: Level V, cross-sectional descriptive study.