Prevalence and Risk Factors of Binge-eating Disorder among Bahraini Youth and Young Adults: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background Binge-eating disorder (BED) is defined as recurrent abnormal ingestion of large amount of food in a discrete period of time. BED has the highest prevalence of all eating disorders (EDs). Studies have shown strong relationship between BED and both physical and psychological factors such as obesity, depression and anxiety. This research aimed to highlight the significance and predisposing factors of BED among Bahrainis (aged 15-30).Methods959 participants (aged 15–30 years) completed self-administered online questionnaires. BED was measured using the binge eating disorder screener-7 (BEDS-7). The questionnaire also included the Patient health questionnaire -9 (PHQ-9) And general anxiety disorder -7 (GAD -7) to measure depression and anxiety, respectively. Results Out of all participants, 21.2% had binge eating symptoms. Higher BMI, restrictive diet, depression and anxiety were associated with higher binge eating. Out of all risk factors, depression had the strongest association with a value of (p<0.0001, r=0.371) . However, sociodemographic variables including age and other medical conditions showed no statistical significance. Conclusion In conclusion, the prevalence of binge-eating disorder symptoms was significantly high among the study participants. The results point out the crucial role of awareness of the interaction between obesity, depression and anxiety as potential risk factors for binge eating tendencies. Further research should seek to examine their relationship with BED.