Disordered eating attitudes among university students in Kuwait: the role of gender and obesity.

Author: Musaiger, A.O., Al-Kandari, F.I., Al-Mannai, M., Al-Faraj, A.M., Bouriki, F.A., Shehab, F.S., Al-Dabous, L.A., Al-Qalaf, W.B.

Source:
International journal of preventive medicine, 7.
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to highlight the proportion of disordered eating attitudes among university students in Kuwait by gender and obesity. METHODS: A sample of 530 Kuwaiti university students was selected from four universities in Kuwait (203 men and 327 women). The eating attitudes test-26 was used to determine disordered eating attitudes. RESULTS: The prevalence of disordered eating attitudes was 31.8% and 33.6% among men and women respectively. Obese students of both genders had doubled the risk of disordered eating attitudes compared to nonobese students (odds ratio 1.99 and 1.98, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: About one third of university students in Kuwait had disordered eating attitudes. There is an urgent need to prevent and treat disordered eating attitudes in university students in Kuwait.