The prevalance of binge eating disorder and associated psychiatric and substance use disorders in a student population in Kenya - towards a public health approach

• Published in: BMC psychiatry 2022-02, Vol.22 (1), p.122-122, Article 122
• Main Authors: Mutiso, Victoria N, Ndetei, David M, N Muia, Esther, K Alietsi, Rita, Onsinyo, Lydia, Kameti, Frida, Masake, Monicah, Musyimi, Christine, Mamah, Daniel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Anxiety; Anxiety disorders; Appetite; Binge Eating; Binge-Eating Disorder - diagnosis; Binge-Eating Disorder - epidemiology; Binge-Eating Disorder - psychology; Body weight gain; Bulimia; Co-morbidity; College students; Colleges & universities; Community; Complications and side effects; Compulsive eating; Data collection; Demographic aspects; Demographics; Drug abuse; Drug addiction; Drug use; Eating Disorders; Food and nutrition; Food availability; Health aspects; Health Promotion; Health services; Humans; Kenya; Kenya - epidemiology; Laxatives; Mental disorders; Mental health; Mental illness; Morbidity; Obsessive compulsive disorder; Population; Psychiatry; Psychological aspects; Psychosis; Public Health; Questionnaires; Response rates; Risk factors; Secondary school students; Secondary schools; Sociodemographics; Statistics; Students; Substance abuse; Substance use disorder; Substance-Related Disorders - diagnosis; Substance-Related Disorders - epidemiology; Substance-Related Disorders - psychology; University students; Urban schools; Young adults
• ISSN: 1471-244X; 1471-244X
• DOI: 10.1186/s12888-022-03761-1

Kenya in particular and Africa in general lack data on Binge Eating Disorder (BED). The overarching objective of this study is to fill that gap. Kenyans may not be aware that BED exists when a "very good" appetite is considered a sign of good health, especially if food is available either at home, in fast food shops or when communally eating together, a very common cultural practice. On the other hand where there is relatively insufficient food, it is not expected that one could be having a problem of eating too much. We administered the following tools and measurements to 9742 participants (high school, college and university students): 1) Researcher designed socio-demographic and economic indicator questionnaire; 2) An instrument documenting DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for BED and its various symptoms; 3) An instrument to determine DSM-IV psychiatric disorders and substance abuse;4) An instrument measuring high risk for psychosis ,affectivity and stress; 5) A WHO designed instrument measuring the severity of substance abuse for specific substances. We used descriptive and inferential analysis to determine the prevalence and association of the different variables. Independent predictors of BED were generated from a generalized linear model (p