Skip to main content

ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Psychiatry
Sec. Anxiety and Stress Disorders
Volume 15 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2024.1384218
This article is part of the Research Topic Break the Mental Health Stigma: Anxiety Disorders View all 8 articles

A cross-sectional evaluation of binge-eating behavior and its correlation with anxiety disorders among adolescents in Northern Saudi Arabia: Implications for future generations

Provisionally accepted
Ahmed M. Alhuwaydi Ahmed M. Alhuwaydi *
  • Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Background and aim: Binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders pose a significant public health issue worldwide, as it has severe implications for both the physical and mental health of the adolescent population. The present study evaluated the prevalence of binge-eating behavior, anxiety disorders, and associated factors among the northern Saudi adolescent population. Furthermore, we assessed the correlation between binge eating and anxiety. Methods: The present population-based cross-sectional study was carried out among adolescents in the Aljouf region of Saudi Arabia from June 2023 to December 2023. A total of 384 eligible participants were selected using the convenience sampling method. The present study used a pretested Arabic version of the binge eating scale (BES) and Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAM-A) to assess the binge-eating behavior and anxiety disorders among the target population. The Spearman correlation test determined the strength and direction of the correlation between BES and HAM-A scores. Furthermore, logistic regression analysis was applied to find the associated factors for binge-eating behavior among the study participants. Results: Of the 384 participants, moderate and severe binge-eating behaviors were found among 11.2% and 8.3% of the respondents, respectively. Regarding the severity of anxiety as assessed by the HAM-A scale, mild, moderate, and severe anxiety were shown among 12.8%, 9.6%, and 7.5% of the participants, respectively. Also, the study found a positive correlation between binge eating and anxiety scores, with a correlation coefficient of 0.26 and a p-value of 0.001. Furthermore, being female (p = 0.001), moderate (p = 0.004), and severe anxiety (P = 0.001) were significantly associated with binge-eating behavior. Conclusion: The present research findings advocate for the implementation of targeted interventions and support services aimed at decreasing binge-eating behavior and anxiety, thereby promoting the overall well-being of adolescents and building stronger future generations. Moreover, it is recommended that optional courses about binge eating be incorporated into the curricula of schools and universities.

    Keywords: Anxiety Disorders, Hamilton Anxiety scale, Binge Binge-eating behavior, Saudi Arabia, adolescents, Associated factorsCorrelation

    Received: 08 Feb 2024; Accepted: 18 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Alhuwaydi. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Ahmed M. Alhuwaydi, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, Jouf University, Sakakah, Saudi Arabia

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.