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Eating disorders risk and its relation to self-esteem and body image in Iranian university students of medical sciences

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Eating and Weight Disorders - Studies on Anorexia, Bulimia and Obesity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Introduction and objectives

Eating disorders are rapidly increasing in young adults. But, a few studies have examined the risk of eating disorders and body image in university students of non-Western societies. The current study aimed to assess eating disorders risk in relation to body image and self-esteem among Iranian university students.

Method

The participants were 430 students from Tabriz, between April and May 2015. The 26-item Eating Attitude Test (EAT-26), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ) and Rosenberg’s Self-Esteem Questionnaires were used. EAT-26 score of 20 or more was considered as eating disorders risk cutoff.

Results

Majority of the students (68 %) were females. The overall eating disorders risk was 9.5 % (7.5 and 10.5 % in men and women, respectively). Further, the prevalence of poor body image and low self-esteem was 34.2 and 16 %, respectively. Neither of the gender differences was statistically significant (p > 0.05). In simple logistic regression, there were significant associations between self-esteem, body image, parental education and eating disorders risk (p < 0.025). But, after adjustments for gender, age, Body Mass Index (BMI) and marital status, only self-esteem (OR = 0.37, 95 % = 0.16–0.87) and mother’s education level (OR = 2.78, 95 % = 1.30–5.93) were predictors of eating disorders risk.

Conclusions

The findings revealed that low self-esteem and mother’s higher education may increase eating disorders risk and the predictive role of body image possibly is by other mediators such as self-esteem. This warrants awareness improvement and developing appropriate interventions targeting self-esteem and self-respect of students.

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Acknowledgments

The authors are very grateful to Students Research Center in Tabriz University of Medical Sciences who supported the study. In addition, they thank all students and staff of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences that helped them in this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Student Research Committee, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Golgasht St, Tabriz, Iran

    Alireza Farsad Naeimi

  2. Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Qazvin University of Medical Sciences, Qazvin, Iran

    Hossein Khadem Haghighian

  3. Department of Biochemistry and Diet Therapy, Nutrition Research Center, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Bahram Pourghassem Gargari

  4. Tabriz Health Services Management Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mohammad Alizadeh

  5. Department of Biochemistry and Diet Therapy, Faculty of Nutrition, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Tohid Rouzitalab

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  1. Alireza Farsad Naeimi
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  2. Hossein Khadem Haghighian
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  4. Mohammad Alizadeh
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Correspondence to Alireza Farsad Naeimi.

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Conflict of interest

On behalf of all authors, the corresponding author states that there is no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in the current study were in accordance with the ethical standards of the Ethics Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences (Tabriz, Iran) and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

Funding

This study was funded by the Student Research Committee of Tabriz University of Medical Sciences.

Additional information

Sponsored by: Student Research Committee of Tabriz university of Medical Sciences.

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Naeimi, A.F., Haghighian, H.K., Gargari, B.P. et al. Eating disorders risk and its relation to self-esteem and body image in Iranian university students of medical sciences. Eat Weight Disord 21, 597–605 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-016-0283-7

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