• Signs of binge eating disorder (BED) were observed exclusively among female nutrition students. • BED-related behaviors differed between remote and face-to-face teaching contexts. • Weight variation could be associated with signs of BED. Nutrition students are more prone to Binge Eating Disorder (BED), due to aesthetic pressures and extensive knowledge about food. In this context, the COVID-19 pandemic may have impacted signs of BED. This study aims to assess the prevalence of BED symptoms in nutrition students during remote (1 st stage) and in-person learning (2 nd stage). This is a cross-sectional study with a sample formed by students from 29(1 st stage) and 24(2 nd stage) undergraduate nutrition programs in public and private institutions in one city. Data were collected online using the Binge Eating Scale (BES) questionnaire and nutritional and sociodemographic characteristics. Descriptive and comparative analyses were conducted using SPSS v21.0 (p<0.05). A total of 141 students answered the questionnaires, 24 fitting into some degree of the BED signs, 12 on each stage of data collection. All individuals with BED symptoms were female. In remote learning, three (25%) students with signs of BED were in their first year of graduation, while in in-person learning, four(33.3%) were in their first year. Except for one student with BED, all (95.8%) exhibited variations in body weight in the last 12 months. Greater signs of BED were observed in last-year students(18%) during remote learning, with questions related to binge eating and post-binge guilt contributing more to BED symptom in remote learning. A higher prevalence of BED symptoms was observed in nutrition students during remote learning. The data indicate a greater prevalence in female students, and a connection between weight variation. This study investigated the prevalence of BED symptoms in nutrition students from Belo Horizonte, Brazil, comparing remote and in-person learning periods. Results indicated a higher prevalence of BED signs during remote learning (18%) compared to in-person learning (16%), with all affected individuals being female. A strong association was found between weight variation and BED, with 95.8% of students showing weight changes in the last 12 months. Feelings of guilt and binge eating behaviors contributed more to the diagnosis during remote learning, highlighting the pandemic’s impact on students' mental and physical health.
Dutra et al. (Sun,) studied this question.