Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40103217›Full record

ArticleBrain and behavior2025

Screening of the Risk of Eating Disorders Among Medical Students in the MENA region and Its Associated Factors: A Multinational Cross-Sectional Study.

Siwar Belhaj Salem, Fatima Ezzahraa El Idrissi, Ahmed Fikry Mohamed, Husam Khrais, Rawan Elwalid Jad, Umair Ul Haq, Jaafer Ammar Jouini, Ramla Mohamed Farah Roble, Ronahy Haidar, Fatma Zaouali and 12 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain and behavior, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Time to Address Eating Disorder Risk Among Medical Students.Behavioral sciences (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

22 authors.

Siwar Belhaj SalemDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0004-9800-8154
Fatima Ezzahraa El IdrissiFaculty of Medicine, Pharmacy and Dental Medicine of Fez - Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University, Fez, Morocco.
Ahmed Fikry MohamedFaculty of Medicine, South Valley University, Qena, Egypt.
Husam KhraisFaculty of Medicine at Hashemite University, Zarqa, Jordan.
Rawan Elwalid JadInternational Medical University, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Umair Ul HaqBannu Medical College, Bannu, Pakistan.
Jaafer Ammar JouiniFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Ramla Mohamed Farah RobleSchool of Medicine, Ahfad University for Women, Omdurman, Sudan.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-3152-6068
Ronahy HaidarFaculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria.
Fatma ZaoualiDepartment of Family Medicine, Faculty of Medicine of Monastir, Monastir, Tunisia.
Abdullah JanemDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7344-889X
Hossam SalamehDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-5346-9973
Ruzan JamaleddinDepartment of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, An-Najah National University, Nablus, Palestine.
Alaa Mohamed ElsayedFaculty of Medicine, Menofia University, Menofia, Egypt.
Fidha HussainDepartment of Oncology, Northampton General Hospital, Northampton, UK.
Yasmine Adel MohammedDepartment of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
Abeer HagaliFaculty of Medicine, University of Medical Sciences and Technology, Khartoum, Sudan.
Zeyad YassinFaculty of Medicine, Alazhar University, Cairo, Egypt.
Shahd AlmansourFaculty of Medicine, Homs University, Homs, Syria.
Farah BahsasFaculty of Medicine, Homs University, Homs, Syria.
Dana AlMahderFaculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.
Muhammad Shoaib KhanBannu Medical College, Bannu, Pakistan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundEating disorders (EDs) are a group of mental diseases marked by disrupted eating behaviors, and are associated with several factors. Medical students are highly exposed to this mental disorder with a prevalence of 17.35% in 2022.

objectiveTo evaluate the risk of EDs and its associated factors among medical students in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

methodsA web-based cross-sectional study was conducted among medical students in the MENA region during the months of June and July 2024. The primary data collection instrument was a comprehensive questionnaire that contained the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and sociodemographic and clinical features and designed using Google Forms and distributed via social media platforms.

resultsThe total number of participants was 5061. The mean age in our population was 22.58 ± 3.27. Our population's average EAT-26 score was 13.87 ± 10.7, with ranges varying from 0 to 72. Based on their EAT-26 scores being 20 or above, 1254 people (24.8%) were deemed to be at risk of EDs. Among the participants, 8% were underweight. The multivariable logistic regression model revealed several eating disorder risk factors such as T1DM, schizophrenia, autism, female gender, IBD, and daily exposure to thin body ideal. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction were protective factors.

conclusionThere exists a higher prevalence of individuals at risk for the development of EDs in the MENA region especially females, students with comorbidities, and those having conflictual relationships with their parents. Regular sports practice and weight satisfaction are protective factors.

Indexed as

Feeding and Eating DisordersStudents, MedicalAdolescentAdultAfrica, NorthernCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle EastPrevalenceRisk FactorsSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adultanorexia nervosabulimia nervosafeeding and eating disordersmedical studentsMENAprevalenceunderweight

Identifiers

PMID40103217
PMCPMC11919777

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.