Eating Disorders in Bangladesh: A Narrative Review

Background and Aims

Eating disorders are complex psychiatric illnesses mostly prominent in Western countries. Little has been researched about these disorders in countries like Bangladesh. The purpose of this narrative review was to summarize the studies on eating disorders in Bangladesh, focusing on rates and associated factors.

Methods

A search was performed in PubMed, Scopus, Google, Google Scholar, and BanglaJOL on February 20, 2024, to identify the available studies on eating disorders in Bangladesh. After considering the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 10 articles were included in this review.

Results

Studies were published between 2015 and 2023 with a sample size ranging from 196 to 4076. All the studies were conducted among university students and used screening tools to assess eating disorders where the majority of the studies utilized the Eating Attitudes Test-26. The rate of at risk of eating disorders varies between 20.4% and 38%. Sociocultural factors, age, sex, academic attainment, marital status, family income, smoking, nutritional status, anxiety, depression, internet addiction, high religious practice, previous cosmetic surgery, and binge drinking were associated with eating disorder risk. However, all studies focused on a single population group, and no nationwide studies or research involving community populations or clinical samples were identified.

Conclusion

Although there has been an increase in research on eating disorders in Bangladesh since 2015, community-based studies using diagnostic tools are warranted. Adaptation and development of culture sensitive instruments could be an important necessity along with an enduring collaboration among researchers, stakeholders, and clinicians.