Introduction:

The aim of this study is to evaluate eating disorder risk and factors associated with obesity prejudice among university students.

Methodology:

This cross-sectional descriptive study was consisted of 1,449 university students in Turkey. Anthropometric measurements were self-reported and eating disorder and obesity prejudice symptoms were measured via validated scales.

Results:

Prevalence of students at low risk for eating disorder was 88.2%, while 60.3% of them were prone to obesity prejudice and 27% of them were obesity prejudiced. The mean eating disorder scores of the underweight and the normal weight group were significantly lower than the overweight group (p=0.003 and p=0.019, respectively). The difference between the mean obesity prejudice scores of the normal weight group and the overweight group was found to be significant (p=0.002). Moreover, in the multiple linear regression analysis, the overweight group had a significant association with obesity prejudice (p<0.001).

Conclusions:

The risk of eating disorder and obesity prejudice increases among overweight/obese university students. Early prediction of eating disorder and obesity prejudice is crucial to prevent health problems such as obesity and related diseases among university students.

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