Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study
Summary Eating disorders are serious conditions that affect how people think and behave around food, and their body image. This study investigated how common eating disorders are among medical students in Uganda, and the factors linked to their occurance. The findings revealed that 16.6% of medical...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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BMC
2025-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Eating Disorders |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01234-w |
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| _version_ | 1849765080334336000 |
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| author | Joan Abaatyo Simeon Opeoluwa Sodeinde Mark Mohan Kaggwa |
| author_facet | Joan Abaatyo Simeon Opeoluwa Sodeinde Mark Mohan Kaggwa |
| author_sort | Joan Abaatyo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Summary Eating disorders are serious conditions that affect how people think and behave around food, and their body image. This study investigated how common eating disorders are among medical students in Uganda, and the factors linked to their occurance. The findings revealed that 16.6% of medical students showed signs of possible eating disorders based on the SCOFF screening tool. Those at high risk included female sex, individuals with multiple sexual partners, and those experiencing suicidal thoughts. These results highlight the importance of raising awareness about eating disorders in academic settings, particularly in medical institutions, and underscore the need for early identification and targeted interventions. Further research is necessary to explore sociocultural influences on eating disorders in Uganda and other low-resource settings to inform culturally appropriate prevention and treatment strategies. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb3bd72e434f41e49b4c19d34287dd6d |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2050-2974 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Eating Disorders |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb3bd72e434f41e49b4c19d34287dd6d2025-08-20T03:04:58ZengBMCJournal of Eating Disorders2050-29742025-03-011311610.1186/s40337-025-01234-wEating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional studyJoan Abaatyo0Simeon Opeoluwa Sodeinde1Mark Mohan Kaggwa2Department of Psychiatry, King Ceasor UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry, King Ceasor UniversityDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McMaster University, St Joseph’s Healthcare HamiltonSummary Eating disorders are serious conditions that affect how people think and behave around food, and their body image. This study investigated how common eating disorders are among medical students in Uganda, and the factors linked to their occurance. The findings revealed that 16.6% of medical students showed signs of possible eating disorders based on the SCOFF screening tool. Those at high risk included female sex, individuals with multiple sexual partners, and those experiencing suicidal thoughts. These results highlight the importance of raising awareness about eating disorders in academic settings, particularly in medical institutions, and underscore the need for early identification and targeted interventions. Further research is necessary to explore sociocultural influences on eating disorders in Uganda and other low-resource settings to inform culturally appropriate prevention and treatment strategies.https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01234-wEating disordersBulimiaMedical studentsUniversity studentsSexual partnersSuicidal ideation |
| spellingShingle | Joan Abaatyo Simeon Opeoluwa Sodeinde Mark Mohan Kaggwa Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study Journal of Eating Disorders Eating disorders Bulimia Medical students University students Sexual partners Suicidal ideation |
| title | Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Eating disorders among medical students at a private university in Uganda: a cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | eating disorders among medical students at a private university in uganda a cross sectional study |
| topic | Eating disorders Bulimia Medical students University students Sexual partners Suicidal ideation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01234-w |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT joanabaatyo eatingdisordersamongmedicalstudentsataprivateuniversityinugandaacrosssectionalstudy AT simeonopeoluwasodeinde eatingdisordersamongmedicalstudentsataprivateuniversityinugandaacrosssectionalstudy AT markmohankaggwa eatingdisordersamongmedicalstudentsataprivateuniversityinugandaacrosssectionalstudy |