Abstract
Background: Eating disorders are serious health conditions that affect both physical and mental health. These conditions include problems of thinking about food, eating, weight and shape, and eating behaviors. These symptoms can affect health, emotions, and ability to function in important areas of life. This study aimed to estimate the effect of gender and body perception on eating disorders in adulthood.
Subjects and Method: This meta-analysis was conducted based on the PRISMA flow diagram. The articles were searched using keywords based on the PICO research question. Population: Adults. Intervention: Female and poor body perception. Comparison: Male and good body perception. Outcome: Eating disorders. The articles were searched from 4 electronic databases (Google Scholar, Elsevier, PubMed, and Springer Link). The keywords included “Female” OR “Sex” AND “Body Perception” OR “Self-Perception” AND “Eating-Disorders” AND “Cross-sectional”. The articles used were full text in English from 2012 to 2023. The articles were analyzed using RevMan 5.4.
Results: The meta-analysis included 11 primary studies from Malaysia, Taiwan, Bangladesh, India, Ethiopia, Tunisia, Spain, France, and the United States. The total sample size was 12,300 adults. The risk of eating disorders increased in women (aOR= 1.73; 95% CI= 1.19 to 2.51; p=0.004) and poor body perception (aOR= 1.50; 95% CI= 1.03 to 2.19; p=0.004).
Conclusion: Women and poor body perception increase the risk of eating disorders in adults.
Keywords: eating disorders, body perception, women.
Correspondence:
Muhammad Fahrezi Al Ghifari. Master’s Program in Public Health, Universitas Sebelas Maret. Jl. Ir. Sutami 36A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia. Email: fahrezialghifari@student.uns.ac.id. Mobile: +6281386225625.
Article Data
