Prevalence of Eating Disorders and Their Association with Perceived Stress and Body Shape Concerns among Medical Students in Bengaluru, India -A Cross-sectional Study

Background Eating disorders are serious mental health conditions characterized by abnormal eating habits and distressing concerns related to body weight and shape. Medical students who are exposed to high levels of academic stress performance pressure and social influences are prone for eating disorders.Aim This study estimated the prevalence of eating disorder concerns and their association with perceived stress and body shape dissatisfaction among medical students in Bengaluru India.Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted between June and September 2023 at a government medical college in Bengaluru. A total of 200 MBBS students were selected through stratified random sampling. Data were collected using a semi-structured online questionnaire that included the Eating Attitudes Test EAT-26 Perceived Stress Scale PSS and Body Shape Questionnaire BSQ-16B. Statistical analyses were performed using STATA version 18 employing descriptive statistics Chi-square test and multiple logistic regression.Results The prevalence of high concern for eating disorders EAT score ge 20 was 14 95 CI 9.8ndash19.5. Perceived stress was moderate in 151 75.5 and high in 27 13.5 of students. Body shape concerns were reported by 11 5.5. High concern for eating disorders were significantly associated with perceived social media influence aOR 3.4 95 CI 1.1-10.7 and mild concern with body shape aOR 8.5 95 CI 1.6-46.7.Conclusion Early detection and prevention efforts for eating disorders could be targeted among medical students incorporating comprehensive psychosocial assessment along with BMI.nbsp