It’s not just a “female issue”: eating attitudes and behaviors of Pakistani male and female pharmacy students

Abstract

Aim ― Early identification of people with eating disorders can result in better treatment and complete recovery. Therefore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of pharmacy students at high-risk of eating disorders. Material and Methods ― A cross-sectional study was undertaken in pharmacy departments of two renowned academic institutes of Lahore, Pakistan. Eating attitudes and behaviors of the students were assessed by eating attitudes test (EAT-26). Results ― A total of 600 questionnaires were distributed and 566 were received, with the response rate of 93.3%. The mean age of the study cohort was 21.78±2.44 years, with a predominance of women (69.6%). The mean EAT-26 score was found out to be 16.99±11.18. The prevalence of university students at high risk of eating disorders was found out to be 36.7%, with no significant difference between gender, age and body mass index. Conclusion ― The findings of the present study suggest that a high proportion of Pakistani pharmacy students are at risk of eating disorders; with no significant difference between men and women. Our study highlights the need of awareness programs to promote healthy eating attitudes among students.

Keywords

• eating disorders
• EAT-26
• nutrition
• gender differences