Prevalence of eating disorders among a sample of Egyptian medical students

Abstract Background Eating disorders represent a public health concern worldwide, with increasing prevalence among young individuals. University students are considered a high risk group. However, data, focusing specifically on medical students in Egypt remain limited. Medical students face multiple academic stressors, high performance expectations, and heightened health awareness, which may be associated with disordered eating behaviours and psychological distress. Methods A cross sectional study was conducted on a stratified random sample of 575 undergraduate medical students at Ain- Shams University during the academic year 2018 /2019, Participants completed a designed clinical sheet for demographic data, Arabic version of the Eating Attitude Test -26 (EAT-26) as a first stage screening tool, followed by the Eating disorder Inventory -II (EDI-II) in non-clinical populations, in addition to semi-structured interviews for screen-positive cases. Binge eating behaviours were assessed using the Binge Eating Scale (BES), body image dissatisfaction using Body Image Test (BIT), and psychological distress using General Health Questionnaire -28(GHQ-28). Results Abnormal eating attitudes were identified in 12.3% of the sample, while 13.7% exhibited binge eating behaviours. Nearly half of the participants( 48.9%) demonstrated psychological distress. Binge eating behaviours revealed significant variation across academic grades, with a peak observed in the fourth academic year. Psychological distress was most prevalent in the second academic year and least prevalent in the fourth and sixth years. Significant associations were found between eating pathology, psychological distress, and several sociodemographic and clinical factors. Conclusion The study revealed that the prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes and body dissatisfaction matched the average prevalence in the literature, while binge eating behaviours were less than that of developed countries. The observed grade-related patterns suggest a complex relationship between psychological distress and binge eating behaviours; however, causality cannot be inferred due to the cross-sectional design. Longitudinal studies were warranted to further explore these associations.