DISORDERED EATING PRACTICES AMONG ROMANIAN ADULTS DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

Objectives: Eating disorders negatively affect the health and the quality of the human’s life. Data on eating patterns and on mental health are scarce in the Eastern European region. The pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus seriously affected all dimensions of life, including the dietary habits and the mental health status of the people. The aim of this study was to investigate which psychosocial factors were associated with disordered eating among Romanian adults during the COVID-19 pandemic. Material and methods: A nationally representative sample of 1102 adults participated in 2021 in a telephone-based survey about eating practices and psychosocial wellbeing. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to estimate the prevalence and correlates of disordered eating among Romanian adults in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown. Results: Sixty-five percent of adults reported some type of disordered eating. Men, people with more education and older adults more frequently reported overeating; women and young adults more frequently reported undereating and oscillating between over- and under-eating. There were no consistent patterns of disordered eating according to education or place of residence. People who reported undereating were also more likely to report a low quality of life, a low mood and loneliness. Undereating was also associated with adverse life events – suicide ideation, abuse, depression and prolonged sadness – except for self-harm. Conclusions: Disordered eating is a common custom. Programs are needed to prevent the initiation of disordered eating. Eating too little could be related to poverty rather than to a mental health issue; therefore, future research should include measures related to food insecurity. Keywords: Disordered eating, mental health, Romania.