Medical students are more susceptible to developing eating disorders (EDs) than the average person due to higher stress levels, according to a new Bahrain study.
A total of 397 students, 75.3 per cent of them women, from Bahrain and the rest of the GCC participated in the research conducted by Arabian Gulf University (AGU) medical students Muneera Almahmeed and Muna Almutawa, as well as Physiology Department at the College of Medicine and Health Sciences associate professor Yahya Naguib.
The study was conducted in 2022 but its findings were released earlier this month. It identified numerous factors that were strongly associated with eating disorders in medical students, including early years of study, living situation and mental health status.
It also sought to investigate whether the Covid-19 pandemic had a major influence on students who had or were at risk of developing EDs.
An eating disorder is a behavioural condition characterised by severe, persistent disturbance in eating behaviours and is associated with distressing emotions and thoughts, and can affect physical, psychological and social function.
There are several types of eating disorders, the most common being anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, avoidant restrictive food intake disorder and other specified feeding and eating disorder (OSFED).
“Medical students constitute a population that is particularly vulnerable to developing eating disorders owing to chronic stress, elevated rates of depression, anxiety and risk of burnout,” Ms Almahmeed said during a lecture at the AGU campus in Manama yesterday.
The event was held as part of Eating Disorder Awareness Week, observed from February 24 to March 2.
“The findings revealed that 32.1pc of participants, or three out of every 10 people, had an increased risk of developing EDs, which is high,” Ms Almahmeed said.
“Students in clinical years (fifth and sixth) exhibited a lower risk compared to those in preclinical years, and participants living alone or with their families had the highest risk, while those living in private shared apartments or university dorms exhibited a lower risk.
“In addition, 68.8pc of the sample reported having mental health problems, with only 18.6pc seeking professional care.
“No significant associations were found between age, gender, nationality and marital status.”
Students with an eating disorder demonstrate a reduced ability to concentrate, irritability as well as physical symptoms such as lethargy, nausea and headaches which lead to decreased academic performance and motivation.
Ms Almahmeed also pointed out that 43pc of the participants reported a deterioration in their eating habits during the pandemic. A total of 44.1pc expressed dissatisfaction with their food habits and 51.1pc revealed an increased obsession with their weight and body image during the time.
“It is worth noting that more than half of the students reported struggling with a mental health problem, yet only 18pc sought help for it,” she said.
She stressed the need for more awareness campaigns to encourage young aspiring medics to reach out for help.
“The Arab world is dealing with rapid socio-cultural changes, which are associated with eating disorders,” she said.
“There should be more awareness surrounding these topics to get rid of the stigma and encourage more people to reach out for help.”
She also highlighted that while Covid-19 has passed, there were still global issues that affected people.
“We see countries all around the region dealing with major political and natural disasters. We have wars raging in Palestine, Lebanon and Syria, and the people are constantly stressed, therefore, the prevalence of mental health illnesses will likely increase,” she said.
Another regional study last year, reported in the GDN, had found that exposure to explicit accounts of war was correlated with insomnia, deeper depression and heightened stress levels.
According to experts, the physical complications of eating disorders are vast, leaving no organ system unaffected.
Some clinical complications include electrolyte imbalances and endocrine, cardiac, hematologic, neurological and renal complications which can be severe and potentially irreversible when not identified and treated early.
julia@gdnmedia.bh
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