Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-4rdpn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-02T19:01:29.075Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Bulimic behaviors in the tunisian general population: prevalence and associated factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 August 2024

A. Hadj Ali ,
M. Turki ,
M. A. Megdiche ,
S. Ellouze ,
G. Chakchouk ,
N. Halouani  and
J. Aloulou
A. Hadj Ali
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. Turki
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
M. A. Megdiche*
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
S. Ellouze
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
G. Chakchouk
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
N. Halouani
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
J. Aloulou
Affiliation:
Psychaitry B department, Hedi Chaker university hospital, Sfax, Tunisia
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.
Introduction

Bulimic behaviors (BB) are a major public health problem, due to their prognosis and serious psychological, somatic, and social consequences. The exact etiopathogenesis of BB is still poorly understood, and the literature suggests the interaction of multiple factors.

Objectives

The aim of our study was to estimate the prevalence of BB in the Tunisian general population and to identify the associated risk factors.

Methods

We conducted a cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study of Facebook group members, using an online questionnaire, from February 17, 2023, to May 26, 2023. All respondents over the age of 18 were included in the study. All participants filled out a socio-demographic questionnaire. Body mass index (BMI) was calculated from weight and height. The Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE) was used to screen and assess the intensity of bulimic behaviors.

Results

A total of 528 responses were included in the study. The mean age of the sample was 33.3±11.95 years, and the M/F sex ratio was 0.41. Subjects were unmarried in 63.4% of cases, of low socio-economic status in 19.5%, with a university education in 75.2%, and with a psychiatric history in 25.6% of cases. The mean BMI was 25.15±4.98. The mean BITE score was 10.76±6.85, and 6.6% of our population were at high risk of developing BB.

In the bivariate study, female gender (p<0.001), unmarried marital status (p=0.001), university education (p<0.001), and the presence of a psychiatric history (p<0.001) were significantly associated with a high risk of developing BB. Moreover, the BITE score was negatively correlated with age (r=-0.231; p<0.001) and positively correlated with BMI (r=0.307; p<0.001).

Conclusions

This study highlighted the magnitude of the risk of bulimic behaviors in the Tunisian general population and the need to set up programs to prevent and control these disorders.

Disclosure of Interest

None Declared

Type
Abstract
Information
European Psychiatry , Volume 67 , Special Issue S1: Abstracts of the 32nd European Congress of Psychiatry , April 2024 , pp. S561 - S562
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of European Psychiatric Association
Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.