Quality of life and risk behaviors for eating disorders in university students
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.21527/2176-7114.2025.50.14955Keywords:
quality of life, eating disorders, university studentsAbstract
Eating disorders can lead to numerous health impairments, including poor quality of life. This study aimed to explore the association between quality of life and risk behaviors for eating disorders. A cross-sectional study was conducted with a sample of 353 health sciences university students from southern Brazil. Quality of life was assessed using the WHOQOL-BREF, while risk behaviors for eating disorders were evaluated through the EAT-26. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, non-parametric tests, and Poisson regression. The mean age of the sample was 25.9 ± 8.2 years, with a median (Med) total quality of life score of 66.3 points (interquartile range [IQR]: 58.6–74.0), and a prevalence of poor quality of life of 28.3% (95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 23.6–33.0). A lower quality of life score was observed among students with risk behaviors (Med: 63.0; IQR: 52.9–70.2) compared to those without risk behaviors (Med: 67.3; IQR: 60.6–75.0; p=0.002). After adjustment, university students with risk behaviors for eating disorders had a 79% higher probability of experiencing poor quality of life (Prevalence Ratio [PR] = 1.79; 95% CI: 1.28–2.50; p=0.001) compared to those without risk behaviors. Thus, the findings of this study indicate a poorer quality of life among university students with risk behaviors for eating disorders.
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