Disordered eating attitude among male Somali students in Bangladesh: A cross-sectional study

Introduction

More information on disordered eating must be accessible among male students. This study explored the disordered eating attitudes and behaviors among Somali male students who came to Bangladesh for further education.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted in January–May 2017 among conveniently selected 356 Somali male students living in different regions of Bangladesh. A three-part self-administered questionnaire included a validated version of the Eating Attitude Test-26 (EAT-26). For descriptive analysis, frequencies and mean (±SD) were calculated. Chi-square tests were performed on categorical data to find the relationships between variables, and Student's t-test was made for comparison. Statistical tests were considered significant at a p-value of ≤0.05.

Results

The study included 356 male, unmarried Somali students aged 19–29 years old {mean (±SD), 24.23 (±2.58) years} who had a mean BMI [kg/m², 22.52 (±2.89)]. About 35% and 8% were overweight and obese, respectively. The total score of EAT-26, and the subscales scores were {mean (±SD), 24.38 (±9.4), 13.86 (±6.14), 3.91 (±2.45), and 6.62 (±4.21)} respectively. Most (70%) respondents were at risk of disordered eating. No statistical differences in mean income and BMI of the groups (at risk of disordered eating attitudes vs. not at risk of disordered eating attitudes) were evident. However, the male students who were at risk of disordered eating attitudes were significantly more prone to the subscales of dieting (16.11 ± 5.35 vs. 8.64 ± 4.46, p = 0.0001), bulimia and food preoccupation (4.14 ± 2.36 vs. 3.33 ± 2.59, p = 0.004), and oral control (8.46 ± 3.34 vs. 2.33 ± 2.56, p = 0.0001) than those students who were not at risk of disordered eating attitudes. Age, abnormal weight loss, overeating, and BMI were significantly (p ≤ 0.05) associated with developing disordered eating attitudes.

Conclusions

The present study findings show that Somali male students who came to Bangladesh for higher education are at a greater risk of disordered eating attitudes. A further large study is essential among international students.