Life style and risk of atypical eating disorders in university students: Reality versus perception

Risk Factors for Eating Disorders in University Students: The RUNEAT Study

The purpose of the study is to assess the risk of developing general eating disorders (ED), anorexia nervosa (AN), and bulimia nervosa (BN), as well as to examine the effects of gender, academic year, place of residence, faculty, and diet quality on that risk. Over two academic years, 129 first- and fourth-year Uneatlántico students were included in an observational descriptive study. The self-administered tests SCOFF, EAT-26, and BITE were used to determine the participants' risk of developing ED. The degree of adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) was used to evaluate the quality of the diet. Data were collected at the beginning (T1) and at the end (T2) of the academic year. The main results were that at T1, 34.9% of participants were at risk of developing general ED, AN 3.9%, and BN 16.3%. At T2, these percentages were 37.2%, 14.7%, and 8.5%, respectively. At T2, the frequency of general ED in the female group was 2.5 times higher (OR: 2.55, 95% CI: 1.22-5.32, p = 0.012). The low-moderate adherence to the MD students' group was 0.92 times less frequent than general ED at T2 (OR: 0.921, 95%CI: 0.385-2.20, p < 0.001). The most significant risk factor for developing ED is being a female in the first year of university. Moreover, it appears that the likelihood of developing ED generally increases during the academic year.

Sociodemographic Variables and Body Mass Index Associated with the Risk of Eating Disorders in Spanish University Students

Background: The passage through university is a complex experience that can heighten personal susceptibility to eating disorders. The objective of this research is to determine how gender, age, course, educational faculty, and body mass index (BMI) can influence the risk of eating disorders among university students. Method: A transversal and descriptive study is conducted with a sample of 516 Spanish students (57.2% female, 42.8% male; Mage = 21.7, SDage = 4.1) following 26 university degrees. The Inventory Eating Disorder-Reference criterion (EDI-3-RF) was administered to the students. Contingency tables were used between categorical variables with the chi-squared statistic, at a significance level of p < 0.05. The Student t-test was used for two independent samples and a one-way ANOVA test with the post hoc Bonferroni test for more than two groups. Pearson’s correlation and a simple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the relationship between the variables in its quantitative version. Results: It was found that the female students enrolled in the second year presented a greater obsession with thinness and body dissatisfaction (p = 0.029; d = 0.338); the male students practiced more physical exercise to control their weight (p = 0.003); and that students under the age of twenty (p < 0.010; d = 0.584) and students from both the Health (p = 0.0.13) and Law (p = 0.021) educational faculties showed greater bulimic behavior (d = 0.070). More females are underweight (z = 2.8), and more men are overweight (z = 2.4). Normal-weight students scored significantly higher in thinness obsession (p = 0.033). Overweight students scored significantly higher on thinness obsession (p < 0.001) and body dissatisfaction (p < 0.001). Obese students scored significantly higher on body dissatisfaction (p = 0.04). Conclusions: The data obtained in this study, reinforce the hypothesis that the female gender, at an age within the limits of early adolescence, in the first year of the degree courses, with specific university qualifications, and a high BMI constituted factors that could provoke an eating disorder. Consequently, it is necessary to implement preventive measures adapted to the circumstances of each university student.

Dietary Risk Factors and Eating Behaviors in Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD)

Dietary risk factors play a fundamental role in the prevention and progression of atherosclerosis and PAD (Peripheral Arterial Disease). The impact of nutrition, however, defined as the process of taking in food and using it for growth, metabolism and repair, remains undefined with regard to PAD. This article describes the interplay between nutrition and the development/progression of PAD. We reviewed 688 articles, including key articles, narrative and systematic reviews, meta-analyses and clinical studies. We analyzed the interaction between nutrition and PAD predictors, and subsequently created four descriptive tables to summarize the relationship between PAD, dietary risk factors and outcomes. We comprehensively reviewed the role of well-studied diets (Mediterranean, vegetarian/vegan, low-carbohydrate ketogenic and intermittent fasting diet) and prevalent eating behaviors (emotional and binge eating, night eating and sleeping disorders, anorexia, bulimia, skipping meals, home cooking and fast/ultra-processed food consumption) on the traditional risk factors of PAD. Moreover, we analyzed the interplay between PAD and nutritional status, nutrients, dietary patterns and eating habits. Dietary patterns and eating disorders affect the development and progression of PAD, as well as its disabling complications including major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) and major adverse limb events (MALE). Nutrition and dietary risk factor modification are important targets to reduce the risk of PAD as well as the subsequent development of MACE and MALE.

[Prevalence and factors associated with eating disorders in Peruvian Human Medicine students in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: a multicentre study]

INTRODUCTION

Eating disorders (ED) are serious conditions that have diverse consequences, associated with high morbidity and mortality: Among the factors associated with their development are, being female, and stress, which increased during the pandemic, and was higher in medical students. Our objective was to identify the prevalence and factors associated with ED in medical students.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study, conducted with an online questionnaire, between January 1 and 31, 2021, in 22 universities, using the Eating Disorder Scale (EAT-26) and the Family Communication Scale (FCS). Generalized logistic regressions were used to identify the association between variables.

RESULTS

A total of 1224 participants were recruited, and the prevalence was 12.5%. Associated factors included a poor perception of health in 34.3%, having a family and/or social environment member with an eating disorder in 21.7%, and medium or low satisfaction with family communication in 57.3% and 34.9% respectively, in addition to the academic year, dieting, concern for body image and the perception of inadequate eating.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results show that, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, 1-2 out of 10 Human Medicine students had an ED. The associated factors that influenced development of the condition included a fair or poor perception of health, the academic year completed, and medium or low satisfaction with family communication.

Trends of cancer mortality in Xi'an City, China: 2005-2020

PURPOSE

Describe and predict the malignant tumor deaths in Xi'an so as to provide evidence for the government to formulate the prevention and treatment plans.

METHODS

Overall malignant tumor death in Xi'an in the past 16 years was described. The multi-decrease life table was used to calculate cumulative mortality risk by cause and life expectancy reduction years by cause of malignant tumors in 2020. The join point regression models were used to analyze the change trend of standard mortality of malignant tumors in Xi'an from 2005 to 2020. The appropriate gray models were selected to predict the death of malignant tumors in Xi'an in the next decade.

RESULTS

The mortality of total malignant tumors in Xi'an showed that men are higher than women and the elderly are higher than other groups. As for 2020, lung cancer had the highest risk of death for both men and women, while leukemia had the highest life expectancy reduction years by cause. From 2005 to 2020, standardized mortality of majority malignant tumors showed downward trends, which were particularly obvious in recent years. The prediction results of several major malignant tumors showed that in the next decade, the mortality of most malignant tumors had downward trends, but combined with the increase of population in the future, the number of malignant tumor deaths in Xi'an will continue to increase.

CONCLUSIONS

Malignant tumors in Xi'an have decreasing mortality trends in recent years, and effective measures to prevent and treat tumors should be strengthened in the future.

Changes in Physical Activity Levels and Eating Behaviours during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Sociodemographic Analysis in University Students

The COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools and universities to shift their activities online, influencing the adoption of health-related behaviours such as physical activity and healthy dietary habits. The present study investigates the changes in adherence to a healthy diet and regular physical activity in university students in Italy before and during the COVID-19 pandemic and understands the role of sociodemographic variables in creating the changes above. We conducted a repeated cross-sectional survey performing the same sampling strategy at the first data collection (T0) and second data collection (T1) with a combination of convenience and snowball sampling approaches. The sample is composed of a total of 2001 students, 60.2% women and 39.8% men, with an average age of 22.7 (±5.5 SD). At T1, 39.9% of the students reported regular physical activity. During the pandemic, however, many, especially male students, abandoned or reduced physical activity practice (T1 40%), with an increase in social media use (T0 52.1%; T1 90%). A direct association between very low frequency of physical activity and increased sedentary time (r = 0.2, p = 0.001) and between change in dietary style and increased Body Mass Index (BMI) value (r = 0.3, p = 0.002) was found. The multivariate analysis for the total sample showed that some sociodemographic variables such as gender, age, parents’ level of education, area of study, household type, and perception of one’s body influence eating behaviours and physical activity. Our findings suggest that universities should invest in the protection and promotion of the health of their students with specific awareness programmes, and further research should repeat the survey in the post-lockdown period to investigate the long-term effects on health-related behaviours.

Association between dental fear and eating disorders and Body Mass Index among Finnish university students: a national survey

Background

Little is known about the association between eating disorders (ED) and dental fear. This study investigated the association between dental fear and EDs through body mass index (BMI), and SCOFF (sick, control, one stone, fat, food) questionnaire among Finnish university students. We hypothesised that dental fear is associated with EDs and BMI.

Methods

We used the latest data from the Finnish University Student Health Survey 2016. This survey targeted undergraduate Finnish students (n = 10,000) of academic universities and universities of applied sciences. We enquired about e.g. age, gender, height, weight, educational sector and perceived mental well-being. We used the SCOFF questionnaire to assess those at risk for developing EDs. The question ‘Do you feel scared about dental care?’ enquired about dental fear. We used the chi-square test and gender-specific logistic regression to analyse the associations between dental fear, EDs and BMI controlling for age, educational sector and mental well-being.

Results

In total, 3110 students participated in the study. Overall 7.2% of the students reported high dental fear and 9.2% scored SCOFF positive; more women than men reported high dental fear (11.2% vs. 3.8%, p < 0.001) and scored positive on SCOFF (14.2% vs. 3.6%, p < 0.001). Gender modified the association between dental fear and EDs and BMI. Among females, when controlling for educational sector and BMI, those with positive SCOFF score were more likely to have high dental fear than those with negative SCOFF score (OR = 1.6; CI = 1.0–2.4). After adding perceived mental well-being to the gender-specific regression analyses, overweight and obese males, BMI ≥ 25 (OR = 2.4; CI 1.3–4.4) and females with poor to moderate mental well-being (OR = 2.1; CI 1.4–2.9) were more likely than their counterparts to have high dental fear.

Conclusions

Among the Finnish university students BMI in males and problems of mental well-being in females were positively associated with high dental fear. The results of this study support possible common vulnerability factors that dental fear and other psychological disorders may share.

El respeto de la autonomía como elemento fundamental en el tratamiento ético de los trastornos de la conducta alimentaria

Cuando se habla de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria, es usual pensar en las problemáticas médicas o psicológicas que implican este tipo de patologías. Sin embargo, no se puede negar que estas problemáticas vienen acompañadas de múltiples implicaciones sociales y personales por parte del individuo que se ve afectado, así como de los profesionales de la salud que participan en todo el proceso de atención. Por ende, el objetivo de este artículo es reflexionar sobre la necesidad de hacer un análisis ampliado de la realidad personal y social al momento de atender a pacientes con este tipo de trastornos. Para ello, es fundamental ver más allá de la simple patología médica y procurar que se respete siempre el principio de autonomía como piedra angular de la relación existente entre el médico y el paciente. Como conclusión, se busca que el profesional de la salud que interviene en procesos médicos relacionados con trastornos de la conducta alimentaria considere que la salud del paciente no solo consiste en superar el trastorno, sino también en el estado de bienestar durante el proceso terapéutico y sus implicaciones.