title: Risk of disordered eating attitudes among adolescents in seven Arab countries by gender and obesity: a cross-cultural study.
abstract: The objectives were to discover the prevalence of disordered eating attitudes (EAs) among adolescent males and females, and the association of obesity with EA in seven Arab countries. A multistage stratified sampling technique was used to select secondary students aged 15-18 years from cities in Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestine, Syria and Sharijah Emirate (United Arab Emirates). The total sample was 4698 (2240 males and 2458 females). The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) was used to measure those at risk of disordered EA. Obesity was calculated according to the International Obesity Taskforce criteria. Participants were grouped into two categories, non-obese and obese (overweight and obese). The risk of disordered EA was twice as high among females as in males in Jordan, Libya, Palestine and Syria. Kuwaiti adolescents (males and females) showed higher prevalence of disordered EA than their counterparts in other countries. The risk of disordered EA among obese adolescents was two to three times higher than that of non-obese adolescents, in both genders. Excepting Kuwaiti females and Palestinian males. The association of obesity with disordered EA was statistically significant. This study highlighted the magnitude of the risk of disordered eating attitudes among both male and female adolescents in Arab countries and identified the need for programmes to prevent and control these disorders in the Arab region.
authors.affiliation: Nutrition and Health Studies Unit, Deanship of Scientific Research, University of Bahrain and Arab Centre for Nutrition, P.O. Box 26923, Manama, Bahrain. Electronic address: amusaiger@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Abdulrahman O
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: Musaiger
authors.affiliation: Department of Mathematics, College of Science, University of Bahrain, Bahrain.
authors.forename: Mariam
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Al-Mannai
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Allied Science, Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
authors.forename: Reema
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tayyem
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition and Health, Ministry of Education, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
authors.forename: Osama
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Al-Lalla
authors.affiliation: Elia Nutrition and Health Centre, State of Kuwait, Kuwait.
authors.forename: Essa Y A
authors.initials: EYA
authors.lastname: Ali
authors.affiliation: Dietetic Clinic, Damascus, Syria.
authors.forename: Faiza
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kalam
authors.affiliation: Department of Food Science, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Tripoli, Tripoli, Libya.
authors.forename: Mofida M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Benhamed
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Agriculture, Hebron University, Hebron, Palestine.
authors.forename: Sabri
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saghir
authors.affiliation: Nutrition Department, Makassed Hospital, Jerusalem, Palestine.
authors.forename: Ismail
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Halahleh
authors.affiliation: NutriDar, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Zahra
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Djoudi
authors.affiliation: NutriDar, Algiers, Algeria.
authors.forename: Manel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chirane
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000886:Anthropometry; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008877:Middle East; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015995:Prevalence; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires