Eating disorders in medical and nursing students of a private university: relationship with depression, anxiety, and stress

The study aimed to identify the relationship between Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Anorexia and Bulimia nervosa with stress, depression, and anxiety, among undergraduate students at Aga Khan University (AKU) in Pakistan. The data collection was done online using Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26), Nine Item ARFID Screen (NIAS), and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). A total of 79 responses were received. Among them, 83.5% (n=66) were females and 16.5% (n=13) were males. On the NIAS screen, 16.5% participants tested positive and 15.2% indicated high risk of eating disorders on EAT-26. There were 26% participants who were underweight while 20% were overweight. Anxiety was significantly associated with all eating disorders while depression and stress were significantly associated with positive EAT-26 results too. Females and early- year students were at higher risk. We recommend regular monitoring for eating changes which may improve psychological and physical wellbeing of medical and nursing students. (author)