Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42738994›Full record

ArticleNutrients2026

Food Noise Among Healthcare Students and Healthcare Professionals in Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Saba Alarfaj, Manal Alqahtani, Abdullah Almaqhawi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Nutrients, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

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1citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Saba AlarfajClinical Pharmacy, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa P.O. Box 400, Saudi Arabia.
Manal AlqahtaniClinical Pharmacy, College of Clinical Pharmacy, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa P.O. Box 400, Saudi Arabia.
Abdullah AlmaqhawiDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Faisal University, Al Ahsa P.O. Box 400, Saudi Arabia.ORCID 0000-0001-6035-1230

Funding

King Faisal University KFU263513
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFood noise describes persistent, intrusive thoughts about food, eating, and cravings that occur in the absence of physiological hunger. Its occurrence among healthcare students and professionals in Saudi Arabia is unknown. This study measured food noise in this group in Al-Ahsa, described the proportion meeting study-defined severity thresholds, and identified its main correlates.

methodsIn this cross-sectional study, healthcare students and professionals in Al-Ahsa completed a bilingual (Arabic-English) electronic questionnaire capturing demographic and lifestyle characteristics, a 14-item food noise scale adapted from the Food Thought Suppression Inventory (each item rated 1-5; total range 14-70), the SCOFF eating disorder screen, and the four-item Perceived Stress Scale. The factor structure of the food noise scale was examined by exploratory factor analysis with parallel analysis and random split-half replication. Severity was graded from the mean item score as low, moderate, or high using exploratory thresholds, and associations were tested using t-tests, one-way analysis of variance, the Pearson correlation, and complete-case multivariable linear regression with robust standard errors and six sensitivity analyses.

resultsAmong 593 participants (mean age 25.7 years; 67.5% women; 60.0% students), the food noise scale was unidimensional (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin 0.95; one eigenvalue above both unity and the parallel analysis threshold; 41.8% of variance explained; loadings 0.50 to 0.74) and internally consistent (Cronbach alpha 0.91). The mean total score was 41.9 (standard deviation 12.7). At least moderate food noise was present in 75.9% of participants (95% CI 72.3 to 79.2) and high food noise in 29.0% (95% CI 25.5 to 32.8). A positive SCOFF screen was recorded in 70.2% (95% CI 66.3 to 73.7), and the mean perceived stress score was 8.1 (standard deviation 2.8). In the adjusted model (

conclusionsFood noise was common in this sample and tracked eating disorder risk and perceived stress more closely than demographic or occupational characteristics. Because recruitment was by convenience and the severity thresholds are exploratory rather than validated, the proportions reported here describe this sample and should not be read as population prevalence. The findings provide a first benchmark for the construct in this population and support attention to the cognitive dimension of eating within health professions settings.

Indexed as

FoodHealth PersonnelStudents, Health OccupationsAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleSaudi ArabiaStress, PsychologicalSurveys and QuestionnairesYoung Adulteating disordersfood cravingsfood noisehealthcare studentsperceived stressSaudi Arabia

Identifiers

PMID42738994
PMCPMC13567203

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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.