The Association Between Abnormal Eating Behaviors, Body Mass Index, and Waist-to-Height Ratio Among University Students in Malaysia

Objectives: Transitioning from the home to a new environment exposes university students to unhealthy eating behaviors, which may impact their body mass index (BMI). The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency of these abnormal eating behaviors among the students of the Malaysian Allied Health Sciences Academy (MAHSA) University, Malaysia, gender difference in eating behaviors, and to explore the association of such behaviors with body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, and waist-to-height ratio. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 300 students from MAHSA University were evaluated for eating habits using the Eating Attitude Test 26 (EAT-26) questionnaire. Their height, weight, and waist circumference were measured, and their BMI and waist-to-height ratio was calculated. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), Version 24. Results: Of the 300 students enrolled in the study, 6% scored >20 on the EAT26, therefore appearing to have abnormal eating behaviors. Most of the students (62.0%) were found to be in the “normal” weight category according to their BMI measurements. A significant positive correlation was found between EAT-26 score and BMI, and between EAT-26 score and waist-to-height ratio. Female students had higher EAT-26 scores compared to the male students (p=0.01). Conclusions: Female students are at higher risk of developing abnormal eating behaviors than male students, according to this study. Among Malaysian students, the higher the risk of abnormal eating behaviors, the greater the likelihood of having a higher BMI and waist-to-height ratio.