Eating Disorders among Students in Northern Benin (2023)

Introduction: From their earliest hours, human beings are able to identify a source of food and to feed themselves. Feeding is therefore one of the most instinctive human functions. It is regulated by several factors (physiological, psycho-affective and environmental) whose disruption can lead to eating disorders. Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate eating disorders among students in the town of Parakou in 2023. Method: Descriptive cross-sectional study conducted from January to July 2023 in various universities in the city of Parakou, Benin. The study population consisted of all students in grades 1 to 7 at these universities. A two-stage non-proportional stratified sampling technique combined with a simple random draw was adopted. The Eating Attitude Test-26, Bulimia Inventory Test Edinburgh and a set of questions focusing on the diagnostic criteria for pica were used to screen for pica and other disorders such as anorexia, bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder. Data were analyzed using SPSS (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) version 25. Results: A total of 607 students were surveyed, 323 of whom had eating disorders. A prevalence of 53.21% of students at risk of eating disorders was found. In relation to the total population, the prevalences of anorexia, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder and pica were 45.96%, 0.82%, 15.48% and 12.68% respectively. In multivariate analysis, seven factors explained the risk to develop at least one eating disorder among the students surveyed. These were: urban area of residence (OR (95% CI) = 5.059 (1.75 - 14.65); p = 0.003); year of study (OR (95% CI) = 0.47 (0.28 - 0.79); p = 0.035); type of university attended (private university: OR (95% CI) = 1.63 (1.08 - 2.44); p = 0.019); parents’ marital status (couple or not) (OR (95% CI) = 1.50 (1.01 - 2.24); p = 0.046); father’s level of education: secondary (OR (CI 95%) = 3.85 (1.96 - 7.54); p