The prevalence and risk factors of screen-based disordered eating among university students: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

Alhaj, Omar A.; Fekih‐Romdhane, Feten; Sweidan, Dima H.; Saif, Zahra; Khudhair, Mina; Ghazzawi, Hadeel Ali; Nadar, Mohammed Shaban; Alhajeri, Saad S.; Levine, Michael P.; Jahrami, Haitham

doi:10.1007/s40519-022-01452-0

Cited by 26 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 182 publications

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“…The prevalence of ED risk as measured by EAT-26 varies greatly with age, gender, and region in which the study is conducted. Most contemporary reviews and meta-analyses are based on samples of university and college students [85,86] . In the only cross-cultural study [87] involving female students from Russia and Japan, 8.6% of the Russian respondents and 7.9% of the Japanese respondents appeared at risk.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach

Meshkova,

Mitina,

Aleksandrova

2023

Consortium Psychiatricum

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BACKGROUND: Eating disorders (ED) are severe, chronic and complex in nature mental illness difficult to treat. One of the areas of ED prevention is screening among adolescents to prevent the development of clinical forms of ED in risk groups. AIMS: 1) to investigate the prevalence of ED risk among adolescent girls and compare subgroups at high and low risk of ED; 2) to investigate using a multidimensional approach those variables that can interact with temperament and character traits to predict ED symptomatology. METHODS: The cross-sectional observational self-report study of a community sample of adolescent girls 12-17 years old (n=298; M=14.771.13) was carried out in Ryazan city. The Russian versions of Eating Attitudes Test and Cloningers Temperament and Character Inventory-Revised were used. In addition, an original questionnaire (Risk Factors of Eating Disorders) was developed. Regression models (to test for significant moderations) and path analysis (to test significant mediations) were used. RESULTS: Girls with ED risk are characterized by high weight concerns and body dissatisfaction, low self-directedness, higher novelty seeking and tendency to higher harm avoidance, high alexithymia, self-distrust, negative emotionality and family relationships dissatisfaction, low self-esteem and tendencies to higher perfectionism and risk behavior. Significant moderations were obtained between the following ED risk factors: 1) self-distrust/risk behavior and BMI; 2) alexithymia/negative emotionality/self-esteem and cooperativeness; 3) negative emotionality/risk behavior and self-transcendence. Family relationship dissatisfaction mediates association between self-directedness/cooperativeness/self-transcendence and disordered eating. CONCLUSION: There are various mutual influences between the numerous ED risk and prevention factors, which determine the paths between the predictor and the outcome.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach

Meshkova,

Mitina,

Aleksandrova

2023

Consortium Psychiatricum

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“…The confluence of these stresses and factors, along with the occurrence of other specific stressful life events, may put these students at high risk for DE. A global systematic review that included 89 studies with a total sample of 149,629 university students reported worrisome findings that about 20% of samples exhibited a high level of DE and could be classified at risk of developing a clinical eating disorder (Alhaj et al, 2022). This observation highlights the need for more research on DE in this population and its associated factors.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disordered Eating and Associated Risk Factors: Profiling Malaysian University Students with Disordered Eating

Tang

Liew

Chooi

2023

MJSSH

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Disordered eating (DE) refers to a range of troubling eating behaviors that are considered early warning signs of an eating disorder. The current literature warned that university students are at high risk for developing DE. This study aimed to investigate DE among Malaysian university students and its associated factors, including body dissatisfaction (BD), body mass index (BMI), general anxiety, and social appearance anxiety (SAA); particularly, establishing a profile of participants who displayed tendencies of DE. University students aged 18–25 in Malaysia completed the Disordered Eating Examination-Questionnaire (EDE-Q), Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS). Their weight and height were also collected. 201 participants (female = 169; Mage = 21.3, SD = 1.34) were recruited. 43 participants (21.4%, 43/201) self-reported regular occurrence (≥ 4 occurrences) of binge episodes over the previous 28 days. 41 (95.3%) of the 43 participants reported BD, and 35 (81.3%) of them expressed a desire to be thinner. Additionally, they scored significantly higher on all four subscales and the Global EDE-Q scale as well as the SAAS, compared with those who self-reported less binge eating. Compared with those who self-reported having experienced less binge eating, those who regularly engaged in binge eating appeared to have significantly higher levels of SAA and four aspects of the psychopathology of DE, including weight, shape and eating concern as well as restraint. BD and the drive for thinness appeared to be prevalent amongst them.

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“…Noting the lack of a previously agreed upon definition of DE and thus the lack of research data about its point prevalence, Levine and Smolak [ 11 ] estimated 15–20%, based on studies of either the prevalence of individual ED symptoms or the percentage of people scoring above cut-offs on measures such as the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). Our recent meta-analysis of 89 studies of SBDE in university students, conducted in 40 countries and territories ( K = 105, N = 149,629), yielded a prevalence of 19.7% [ 12 ]. However, there was significant heterogeneity in the point prevalence of SBDE as a function of the type of measure.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…To address this confusing state of affairs and to extend our previous meta-analytic reviews of SBDE in older adolescents and emerging adults [ 12 , 61 ], we conducted a meta-analysis of the global prevalence of SBDE in high school students. To the best of our knowledge, based on searches of the literature or other registration platforms, this is the first such meta-analysis of DE and potential moderators/confounders in this population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The global prevalence of screen-based disordered eating and associated risk factors among high school students: systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

Ghazzawi,

Nimer,

Sweidan

et al. 2023

J Eat Disord

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Objective Estimate the prevalence, and associated risk factors, of high school students who are considered at risk for an eating disorder based on screening measures. Methods An electronic search of nine databases was completed from their inception until 1st September 2022. A random-effects meta-analysis was conducted, and confounder (moderator) analyses and meta-regressions examined whether the overall prevalence estimate for of screen-based disordered eating (SBDE) was moderated by student age, BMI, or gender, as well as culture and type of SBDE assessment. Results The mean estimate of the prevalence of SBDE among high school students (K = 42 (66 datapoints), N = 56282] in the sample of 25 countries was 13% ([95% CI] = 10.0–16.8%, I2 = 99.0%, Cochran's Q p = 0.001). This effect was not moderated by features of the samples such as gender, BMI, or age. Among cultures, non-Western countries had a higher prevalence of SBDE prevalence than Western countries, but the difference was not significant. There was considerable variability in the prevalence estimates as a function of the assessment measure, but no meaningful pattern emerged. Conclusion The estimated figure of 1 in 8 high school students with SBDE—unmoderated by gender and BMI—stands out as a problem in need of attention from public health officials, psychologists, psychiatrists, pediatricians, parents, and educators. There is a great need for innovative, integrated policy and program development all along the spectrum of health promotion and universal, selective, and indicated prevention. Further research is also needed to validate and refine this estimate by (a) conducting basic research on the accuracy of eating disorder screening measurements in samples ages 14 through 17; (b) examining representative samples in more countries in general and Latin American countries in particular; (c) clarifying the relationships between SBDE and age throughout the different phases of late childhood, adolescence, and emerging adulthood; and (d) investigating whether there are meaningful forms of disordered eating and whether these are associated with variables such as gender, ethnicity, and BMI.

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The prevalence and risk factors of screen-based disordered eating among university students: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

Cited by 26 publications

References 182 publications

Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach

Risk factors of disordered eating in adolescent girls from a community sample: a multidimensional approach

Disordered Eating and Associated Risk Factors: Profiling Malaysian University Students with Disordered Eating

The global prevalence of screen-based disordered eating and associated risk factors among high school students: systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

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