Prevalence of disordered eating and its impact on quality of life among a group of college students in a province of west Turkey

Objective. To determine the prevalence of disordered eating (DE) among a group of college students and assess its impact on quality of life. Material and Methods. This study was conducted between December 15(th), 2008 and January 15(th), 2009 at a Turkish University. Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40) was used to identify DE. Health Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) was assessed by Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36. Results. The prevalence of DE was 6.8%. Presence of any physical defect (OR: 2.657), parents living separately (OR: 3.114), mothers having an education level of secondary school and over (OR: 2.583), and families not having social health insurance (OR: 2.603) were important risk factors (p<0.05). Conclusions. The HRQoL of those with DE was worse than those without it. Periodic screenings should be done to determine DE cases.