[Eating disorder and cyclothymic temperament: cross-sectional study about 107 Tunisian students]

Eating disorder and anxiety during Covid19 pandemic: the Maghrebian experience

The coronavirus pandemic is considered the worst-hit that the world had witnessed in the current century. The impact of the pandemic, especially during the lockdown, was not only diverse but also worldwide. The African continent, including the Maghreb, was no exception. The aim of this study was to assess the levels of anxiety and eating behaviors and their correlations in three Maghrebian countries following the official outbreak of the COVID19 pandemic. It is a cross-sectional study of 754 participants from Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. It took place between 30 April and 2 July 2020. The survey showed that eating disorders represented 45.9% of the sample while 26.8% (202 participants) matched the anxiety criteria. Statistical significant factors for eating disorders were gender (p = 0.002; OR = 1.760), underweight (p = 0.021; OR = 0.306), anxiety (p = 0.001; OR = 0.470), bulimia (p = 0.000; OR = 0.794) and body dissatisfaction (p = 0.000; OR = 0.920). This rise goes along with other surveys in different parts of the world. These results can be explained by multiple reasons such as the 'food insecurity' mechanism, the excessive feeling of boredom and loneliness resulting from social distancing and the overwhelming overthinking about the onset of a serious economic crisis.

Validation of a shortened version of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT-7) in the Arabic language

BACKGROUND

Eating disorders are quite common around the world, disabling, and potentially lethal; but they remain so far under-captured and subject to substantial delays in treatment. We propose through this study to develop and validate a shortened version of the Eating Attitude Test (EAT) in the Arabic language among non-clinical Arabic-speaking Lebanese participants from the general population.

METHODS

1175 participants enrolled in this cross-sectional study, based on an online survey. The Eating Attitude Test-26 items, Drunkorexia Motives and Behaviors Scales and Lebanese Anxiety Scale were used to answer our objectives.

RESULTS

Our results confirmed validity and reliability of the questionnaire. Exploratory Factor Analyses showed that all items converged over a one-factor solution, with an excellent Cronbach's alpha (> 0.9). Confirmatory Factor Analyses found that the 7-item-version yielded excellent model fit. The instrument also revealed strong evidence of divergent validity, being highly correlated with measures of anxiety and drunkorexia motives and behaviors.

DISCUSSION

Findings provided evidence supporting that the Arabic seven-item one-factor structure of the scale (EAT-7) is valid, reliable, and can be used in clinical practice, preventive interventions and future eating disorders research in Arab settings.

[Factors associated with the risk of developing eating disorders among medical students in Casablanca, Morocco]

Introduction

les troubles du comportement alimentaire (TCA) sont particulièrement fréquents chez les jeunes adultes, y compris les étudiants. Les objectifs de cette étude sont de déterminer la prévalence d'éventuels troubles du comportement alimentaire chez les étudiants en médecine de Casablanca et d´évaluer le risque de TCA selon les facteurs associés, notamment les facteurs socioéconomiques, cliniques, l´anxiété et la dépression.

Méthodes

nous avons mené une étude transversale descriptive et analytique au niveau du Centre Hospiatlier Universiatire Ibn Rochd de Casablanca et à la faculté de médecine et de pharmacie de Casablanca Maroc, durant l´année universitaire 2016-2017. L´enquête a porté sur un échantillon de 506 étudiants. Nous avons utilisé le questionnaire SCOFF-F (Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, Food; version française), un outil validé pour le dépistage des troubles du comportement alimentaire et l´échelle HAD (Hospital anxiety and depression) pour dépister les troubles anxieux et dépressifs.

Résultats

le questionnaire SCOFF a détecté 127 personnes (soit 25,09%) sur 506 susceptibles de souffrir de troubles du comportement alimentaire. L´âge, le niveau d´études, l´utilisation des moyens de contrôle du poids, l´anxiété et la dépression sont des facteurs associés de façon significative au risque de présenter un trouble du comportement alimentaire chez les étudiants.

Conclusion

nos résultats sont en accord avec les données de la littérature concernant la fréquence des troubles du comportement alimentaire en population étudiante et plus spécifiquement les étudiants en médecine. Mener d´autres études sur une population plus variée pourraient également être envisagées afin d´avoir une vision plus globale de la situation au Maroc.