English abstract
Eating disorders (EDs) are syndromes characterized by abnormal eating patterns with
extreme weight loss behaviors to avoid weight gain. Anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa,
and binge eating disorder are the most common forms of EDs. They constitute a
significant public health problem due to adverse health consequences resulting from
improper eating practices. Eating disorders are a worldwide issue of concern due to their
increasing prevalence among young adults in Arab and non-Arab cultures. They are
associated with diverse biological, psychological, sociocultural, and developmental risk
factors that can lead to several medical complications and psychiatric comorbidities. There
are many studies on the relationships between knowledge, attitudes, and practice (KAP)
related to EDs in the regions of Asia, Europe, and the US; however, it is still an under researched area in the Middle East with insufficient data on KAP in university-going
students. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the KAP towards EDs among
undergraduate students at Sultan Qaboos University in Oman and to identify the
determinants associated with knowledge level, positive attitudes, and appropriate
practices toward EDs. The study sample comprised 239 undergraduate students (175
female and 64 male). The questionnaire was distributed via students' email. Overall, there
were 37 knowledge, 88 attitude, and 65 practice items, the latter two based on a Likert
scale. Descriptive statistics were used to describe participants' baseline characteristics
using mean (standard deviation) for continuous variables and proportions for categorical
variables. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the variables associated with
the KAP scores. Of the 239 participants who completed the questionnaire, 175 (73.22%)
were female. The mean (SD) age of participants was 20.3 (3.0) years and ranged from 17
to 39, and almost all the participants were Omani. There was a considerable level of stress
(the mean (SD) of the Perceived Stress Scale-4 score was 7.51 ± 3). The mean (SD)
knowledge score in our study was 19.69 (5.07); the mean (SD) of the attitudes score was
44.97 (10.74), and the mean (SD) of the practice score was 45.70 (5.62). The multivariable
analysis showed that females had a higher knowledge level than males, and students who
had access to University resources had higher knowledge than students who lacked access
to University resources. Higher body mass index (BMI) was associated with poorer
attitude. Students whose fathers attained lower than master's educational level and those
who did not have access to online EDs resources had poorer attitude scores. Lastly,
increasing BMI was negatively associated with the practice scores. The results revealed a
general lack of knowledge regarding EDs, so educational intervention programs are
needed to enhance knowledge about EDs among university students and to adopt better
attitudes and behaviors.
