SCREENING FOR EATING DISORDERS AMONG UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS IN TWO NIGERIAN HIGHER INSTITUTIONS

O. F AINA; OLAGUNJU, A. T, AKINBODE, A. A; T. F SULEIMAN

O. F AINA Dept of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
OLAGUNJU, A. T, AKINBODE, A. A Dept of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos, Nigeria.
T. F SULEIMAN Dept of Psychiatry, Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba, Lagos.

Keywords: Eating disorders, Undergraduates, Screening, Nigeria

Abstract

physical/ mental health complications and mortality. They are common problems in the Western world; however, with only few studies from the Southern part of Africa, they are believed to be rare in the continent, hence this study.

Methods: The study was carried out among selected undergraduates of two higher institutions in Lagos, Nigeria. They were administered with Socio-demographic Questionnaire and Eating Attitudes Test- 26-item version (EAT-26).

Results: A total of 1054 students in the two institutions were studied, and were made up of 55.6% males and 44.4% females; with mean age of 21.383.66 years. The anthropometric indices of the subjects were mean weight of 63.2911.14kg, mean height was 1.690.09 metres, and mean body mass index (BMI) of 22.173.58. On assessment with EAT-26, 152 (15.3%) scored ?20 that is screened positive for eating disorders (N=995). Higher percentage of females screened positive for eating disorders compared to the males with significant difference of X²=19.47 and p=0.000.

Conclusion: About one-sixth of the subjects screened positive for eating disorder, which is quite important for our environment erroneously believed to lack cases of eating disorders. Also as obtained in the Western world, eating disorders are more prevalent among the females. With limitation of screening instrument, it is advocated for diagnostic instruments to be employed in future studies.