Disordered eating and associated factors in university students during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic
Name: NATALIA RUBIM DE MEDEIROS GOTTARDI
Type: MSc dissertation
Publication date: 29/04/2022
Advisor:
Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| FABÍOLA LACERDA PIRES SOARES | Advisor * |
| LUCIANE BRESCIANI SALAROLI | Co-advisor * |
Examining board:
| Name |
Role |
|---|---|
| FABÍOLA LACERDA PIRES SOARES | Advisor * |
| JOSÉ LUIZ MARQUES ROCHA | Internal Examiner * |
| LUCIANE BRESCIANI SALAROLI | Co advisor * |
| VALDETE REGINA GUANDALINI | Internal Alternate * |
Summary: Beginning university study is a major stressor for young people, and is
associated with a higher incidence of disordered eating. Several factors
contribute to these changes in eating behavior, and in the current scenario,
the COVID-19 pandemic stands out. The objective of this work was to evaluate
disordered eating and its associated factors in university students at the
Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES) during the first wave of the
COVID-19 pandemic in Brazil. All students enrolled in face-to-face courses at
UFES were invited. Data collection was carried out between May and June 2020, through a semi-structured online questionnaire with self-reported
information. Disordered eating was assessed using a validated questionnaire
(Disordered Eating Attitude Scale - short), WHERE higher scores represent
more dysfunctional eating attitudes. The scores for each question were added
up, and based on the median obtained, the participants were distributed
between: Below the median or Equal to or greater than the median.
For statistical analysis, SPSS® version 22.0 software was used, with a
significance level of 5%. A total of 936 university students agreed to
participate in the research, most of them female (n = 667; 71.3%). The
results showed that having flu-like symptoms (OR = 1.605; CI = 1.144-2.252; P = 0.006) and negative changes in mood (OR = 1.628; CI = 1.110-2.387; P = 0.013) increased the chances of a greater score on the disordered eating
scale. In addition, weight gain also significantly increased these odds (OR =
1.739; CI = 1.298-2.329; P < 0.001), even being three times higher in those
with obesity (OR = 3.089; CI = 1.899-5.024; P < 0.001). Following a
fitness/health profile on social media doubled the odds of scoring at or
above the median on the disordered eating scale (OR = 2.050; CI =
1.505-2.793; P < 0.001), an association also observed with inadequate body
perception (OR = 2.416; CI = 1.576-3.705; P < 0.001) and body dissatisfaction (OR = 2.612; CI = 1.558-4.378; p < 0.001). Therefore, variables related to the pandemic, nutritional and behavioral status were associated with a higher score on the disordered eating scale. These results can contribute to the establishment of measures with the objective of mitigating the unfavorable effects of the pandemic on the eating behavior of this population.
