Medical residents and eating disorders: an investigation of prevalence and correlates in hospital settings in Damascus

Abstract

Objective: To study how common are disordered eating behaviors among medical residents in different specialties and how certain preceding factors might contribute to that risk. Methods: Self-administered questionnaires were administered to residents from each year and specialty using the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and the Sick, Control, One, Fat, Food (SCOFF) questionnaires. We used binary logistic regression to study the relationship between individuals at high risk and possible triggers of eating disorders. Results: Among the 399 participants, the risk of disordered eating behavior was 8% using the EAT-26 and 14.3% using SCOFF. There was no difference in the risk according to sex or specialty except for dermatology (p = 0.004). BMI was also among the affecting factors (p < 0.05), in addition to a positive family and personal history of mental disorders (p < 0.001). Recent exposure to stressors, living and marital status did not prove to affect risk. Conclusion: We found that a percentage of medical residents in different specialties are at greater risk for developing eating disorders and exhibit alarming behaviors related to feeding habits. This risk stems from a number of variables, a few of which were studied in this article. Our results demonstrate a need for better awareness of mental health.