Trends in eating disorder risk among U.S. college students, 2013-2021.

Authors :: Daly M
Costigan E
Source :: Psychiatry research [Psychiatry Res] 2022 Nov; Vol. 317, pp. 114882. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Oct 02.
Publication Year :: 2022
Abstract: Despite concerns about rising rates of mental health problems among college students in recent years, little is known about trends in eating disorder (ED). This study examined data from the 2013-2020/2021 Healthy Minds Study (HMS), a large study of US college students (N = 267,599). Students completed the SCOFF scale, a validated measure of ED symptoms. From 2013 to 2020/2021 the prevalence of ED risk increased significantly from 15% to 28% (13% increase, 95% CI, 12.2-13.9) with young, female, and Hispanic students experiencing the largest increases. ED risk increased significantly by 3 percentage points (95% CI, 1.7-4.2) during the COVID-19 pandemic.<br />Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest No conflicts of interest reported.<br /> (Copyright © 2022. Published by Elsevier B.V.)