144 © 2017 Annals of Medical and Health Sciences Research
Original Article
How to Cite this Article: Deogade SC, Suresan V, Rathod JR, Naitam D.
Prevalence and Impact of Dentine Hypersensitivity among Undergraduates
in a University Campus of Central India. Ann Med Health Sci Res. 2017;
7:144-149.
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Abstract
Background: Eating disorders are rapidly increasing in young population. College students,
particularly medical students have shown vulnerability for developing eating disorders. Diferent
sociodemographic factors, BMI, body image and self-esteem have complex interaction with
eating disorders risk. However, there has been very litle research exploring these relationships in
Indian population. Aim: To evaluate relationship of sociodemographic factors, BMI, body image
and self-esteem with eating disorders risk. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study
was conducted in 193 medical students with the help of semi structured proforma consisting of
sociodemographic information, self-reported height and weight to calculate BMI, Body Shape
Questionnaire 16-item Short Form (BSQ-16) to assess perceived body image, Rosenberg Self-
esteem Scale (RSES) to assess self-esteem and Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire
(EDE-Q) to assess eating disorder risk. Results: We found male students to be at slightly more
risk than female students for developing eating disorders. Male students also had signifcantly
higher BMI and more body image dissatisfaction than female students. Eating disorders risk
was signifcantly associated with elevated BMI and body image dissatisfaction. However, there
was no signifcant correlation between eating disorders risk and self-esteem. Conclusion: The
present study brings out the vulnerability of male students for developing eating disorders and
highlighted elevated BMI and body image dissatisfaction as potential risk factors associated with
eating disorders risk. The present study gives insight into early identifcation and prevention or
early treatment of eating pathologies in these students.
Keywords: Eating disorders risk, Body mass index, Body image, Self-esteem, Medical students
Corresponding author:
Bhushan Chaudhari,
Department of Psychiatry,
Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical Collge,
Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India.
Tel: 918805720217;
E-mail:
drbhushan_chaudhari@redifmail.com
The Relatonship of Eatng Disorders Risk with Body
Mass Index, Body Image and Self-Esteem among
Medical Students
Bhushan Chaudhari, Abhinav Tewari, Jyotsna Vanka, Saurav Kumar, Daniel Saldanha
Department of Psychiatry, Dr. D. Y. Patil Medical Collge, Pimpri, Pune, Maharashtra, India
Introduction
In recent years, eating disorders have been a cause for concern
especially due to their increasing prevalence in all racial, ethnic
and socioeconomic groups.
[1]
Traditionally, eating disorders
were considered to be restricted to the population of industrial
and developed western countries.
[2]
In contrary, non-western
population was thought to be relatively protected from eating
disorders because of their cultural differences of symbolizing
fatness for beauty, affuence and fertility.
[3,4]
But with increasing
globalization, the western concept of lean and thin body shape
as ideal body shape is spreading in non-western population also,
increasing body dissatisfaction and unhealthy eating attitudes
and behaviours in this population.
[5-8]
Though the literature in this regard in Indian population is
scarce, researchers have shown that the Indian adolescent girls
have similar body ideals as that of western girls in relation to
body image disturbance and eating disorders
[9,10]
and also that
the rates of clinical and subclinical eating disorders are on
increase in the Indian community.
[11-13]
There has been consensus among researchers that certain
groups in community are at more risk than the others for
developing these disorders. Adolescents and teenage population
is particularly vulnerable for eating disorder risk because of
transitional nature of this life phase with respect to family
relations, friendship, one’s self concept and goal for future.
[14]
Higher education students also showed similar high risk
behaviours leading to eating disorders. Separation from parents,
relatively independent lifestyle, establishment of new social
relations, gaining acceptance in social relations, need for
increased perfectionism, competitive environment and infuence
from peers can lead to this change in eating behaviours among
these higher education students.
[15,16]
Some researchers have established that medical students
are more at risk for developing eating disorders.
[17-19]
The
vulnerability of medical students can be explained by multiple
factors. Stress has been found out to be one of the important
triggers for precipitating disordered eating behaviours and
it is a well-known fact that medical education is associated
with stress. Stigma surrounding eating disorders and mental
disorders in general may lead to denial or affect their treatment
seeking behaviour. Even it may lead to self-treatment. These
factors may delay early identifcation and treatment of early