Frequency, Correlates, and Symptom Severity of Eating Disorders Among College Students in Mexico

The prevalence of eating disorders (ED) has grown in recent decades, associated with sociocultural pressures that partly stem from body stereotypes and increased stress in daily life. However, even though college constitutes a high-risk life stage, this group has received little attention, leaving a significant gap in prevention and early intervention. This cross-sectional and comparative study included 610 Mexican college students aged 18-30 enrolled in two public universities in Mexico: one sample comprised undergraduate students from Yucatan's UADY (n = 457), and another one from Mexico City's UNAM (n = 153). Screening tools included the EAT-26, BES, BSQ, DMS, HADS and AUDIT. We determined the frequency of ED symptomatology across both universities. Linear and multiple logistic regressions were conducted to identify factors associated with ED symptomatology. Overall, 19.8% of participants displayed significant ED symptomatology (UADY 15.5%, UNAM 32.7%). Significant ED symptomatology was more common among women (31.8%) than men (11.7%). Non-cisgender students (27.8%) showed a higher frequency than cisgender women (24.7%) and cisgender men (11.2%). High BD was the strongest predictor of significant ED symptomatology (OR = 13.35; 95% CI 6.79-26.26), followed by symptoms of anxiety (OR = 1.11, 95% CI 1.03-1.19). Our findings highlight the need for early screening and targeted interventions among college students in Mexico.