Prevalence and Factors Associated with Eating Disorders in Military First Line of Defense against COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study during the Second Epidemic Wave in Peru

Mario J. Valladares-Garrido (), Darwin A. León-Figueroa, Cinthia Karina Picón-Reátegui, Abigaíl García-Vicente, Danai Valladares-Garrido, Virgilio E. Failoc-Rojas () and César Johan Pereira-Victorio ()
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Mario J. Valladares-Garrido: South American Center for Education and Research in Public Health, Universidad Norbert Wiener, Lima 15046, Peru
Darwin A. León-Figueroa: Emerge, Emerging Diseases and Climate Change Research Unit, School of Public Health and Administration, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima 15013, Peru
Cinthia Karina Picón-Reátegui: School of Medicine, Universidad de San Martín de Porres, Chiclayo 14012, Peru
Abigaíl García-Vicente: School of Medicine, Universidad Nacional de Piura, Piura 20002, Peru
Danai Valladares-Garrido: School of Medicine, Universidad Cesar Vallejo, Piura 20001, Peru
Virgilio E. Failoc-Rojas: Research Unit for Generation and Synthesis Evidence in Health, Universidad San Ignacio de Loyola, Lima 15024, Peru
César Johan Pereira-Victorio: School of Medicine, Universidad Continental, Lima 15046, Peru

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 4, 1-17

Abstract: Few studies have evaluated eating disorders in military personnel engaged in defense activities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We aimed to determine the prevalence and factors associated with eating disorders in military personnel from Lambayeque, Peru. A secondary data analysis was performed among 510 military personnel during the second epidemic wave of COVID-19 in Peru. We used the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) to assess eating disorders. We explored associations with insomnia, food insecurity, physical activity, resilience, fear to COVID-19, burnout syndrome, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress and selected sociodemographic variables. Eating disorders were experienced by 10.2% of participants. A higher prevalence of eating disorders was associated with having 7 to 12 months (PR: 2.97; 95% CI: 1.24–7.11) and 19 months or more (PR: 2.62; 95% CI: 1.11–6.17) working in the first line of defense against COVID-19, fear of COVID-19 (PR: 2.20; 95% CI: 1.26–3.85), burnout syndrome (PR: 3.73; 95% CI: 1.90–7.33) and post-traumatic stress (PR: 2.97; 95% CI: 1.13–7.83). A low prevalence of eating disorders was found in the military personnel. However, prevention of this problem should be focused on at-risk groups that experience mental health burdens.

Keywords: eating disorders; COVID-19; eating symptoms; military; Peru (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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