Eating disorders and body image concerns among medical students in Syria: a study on prevalence and risk factors

Prevalence of eating disorders and body shape concerns among medical students at Aleppo University, Syria: a cross-sectional study assessing gender differences and BMI associations

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN87885875

Enrollment

500

Registered

2025-06-20

Start date

2024-02-05

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2025-09-08

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Eating disorders (EDs) and body image concerns Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Interventions

Participants are medical students at Aleppo University who voluntarily complete an anonymous online survey. The survey includes three sections: 1. Demographics (age, gender, BMI, academic year, income

participants may withdraw before submission. No interventions, clinical visits, or further contact occur.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Enrolled as an undergraduate medical student at Aleppo University, Syria, during the study period (February–March 2024) 2. Aged 18 years or older (no upper age limit, as the study targets all academic years) 3. Willing and able to provide electronic informed consent prior to survey participation 4. Access to an internet-connected device (to complete the online survey via Google Forms) 5. Proficiency in Arabic (the survey was administered in Arabic)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Non-medical students (e.g., students enrolled in other faculties or programs at Aleppo University) 2. Individuals unable to complete the survey independently due to cognitive or language barriers (e.g., non-Arabic speakers) 3. Duplicate submissions (prevented by requiring unique email addresses for survey access)

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Prevalence of high-risk eating disorders: the proportion of participants scoring =20 on the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) at a single assessment at survey completion (February–March 2024)	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. Severity of body shape dissatisfaction measured using the Body Shape Questionnaire-34 (BSQ-34) at a single assessment at survey completion 2. Gender differences in eating disorder risk: comparison of EAT-26 scores (=20 vs <20) between males and females at a single assessment at survey completion 3. Association between BMI categories and disordered eating: EAT-26 scores across BMI groups (underweight, normal, overweight, obese) at a single assessment at survey completion 4. Demographic correlates (e.g., academic year, income): links between EAT-26/BSQ-34 scores and demographics in a self-reported demographic survey at a single assessment at survey completion	—

Measure

Time frame

1. Severity of body shape dissatisfaction measured using the Body Shape Questionnaire-34 (BSQ-34) at a single assessment at survey completion 2. Gender differences in eating disorder risk: comparison of EAT-26 scores (=20 vs <20) between males and females at a single assessment at survey completion 3. Association between BMI categories and disordered eating: EAT-26 scores across BMI groups (underweight, normal, overweight, obese) at a single assessment at survey completion 4. Demographic correlates (e.g., academic year, income): links between EAT-26/BSQ-34 scores and demographics in a self-reported demographic survey at a single assessment at survey completion

—

Countries

Syria

Contacts

Public ContactMawadda Chukr

mawadaug1@gmail.com+963 (0)981114394

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026