Table 3 Summary of studies reporting the prevalence of Arabs at high risk for eating disorders

Algeria, Jordan, Kuwait, Libya, Palestinians residing in al-Khalil, Syria, UAE

Musaiger et al., (2013) [26]

N = 4698, 2240 male, 2458 female, age 15–18

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

Above clinical cut off: male:13.8–47.3%, female: 16.2–42.7%

Algeria: 15.2%, male 13.8, female 16.2%

Jordan: 31.6%, male 20.1%, female 42.7%

Kuwait: 44.7%, male 47.3%, female 42.8%

Libya: 26.7%, male 19.3%, female 32.6%

Palestinians residing in al-Khalil: 31.7%, male 23.2%, female 38.9%

Syria: 22.9%, male 14.6%, female 32%

UAE: 33.5%, male 29.8% female 37.4%

M (SD) not reported

Egypt

Eladawi et al., (2018) [28]

N = 400, 112 male, 288 female, weight control center visitors

Cross sectional

EAT 40| Western norms

65% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 45.2 (10.2) (age 25–66)

Egypt

Nasser (1994) [39]

N = 35, female, age 15–16, secondary school students

Cross sectional

EAT 40| Western norms

Eating interview

EAT 40: 11.4% above clinical cut off

M (SD) total sample not reported

Eating interview: 1.2% BN, 3.4% subclinical BN

Iran

Abdollahi & Mann (2001) [64]

N = 114, female, university students, Iranian nationals, 45 resided in LA, 59 resided in Teheran

Cross sectional

EDE-Q

FRS

% above clinical cutoff not reported

Iran

Raouf et al., (2015) [76]

N = 1990, 951 male, 1039 female, age 13–18, mean age = 15.8

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Irani norms

SCID

EAT 26: 24.2% above clinical cut off

M (SD) not reported

SCID: 0.25% diagnosed with ED, 0.7% AN, 0.9% BN, 1.0% OSFED

Jordan

Madanat et al., (2007) [80]

N = 800, female, mean age = 33.5

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

Motivation for eating scale

Restraint scale

Sociocultural attitudes towards appearance scale

Body esteem scale

9- figure silhouettes

EAT 26: 54.8% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 18.98 (10.76)

Jordan

Mousa, Mashal, Al-Domi, & Jibril (2010) [84]

N = 326, female, age: 10–16

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

BSQ| Kuwaiti norms

EAT 26: 40.5% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 16.6 (10.7)

Jordan

Mousa, Al-Domi, et al., (2010) [77]

N = 432, female, age: 10–16

Cross sectional

Eating habits questionnaire

OSFED: 31%, BED: 1.8%, BN: 0.6%, AN: 0%

M (SD) not reported

Kuwait

Alkhadari et al., (2016) [69]

N = 1046, 429 male, 617 female, mean age = 37.6, health care clinic attendees

Case control (health care clinic attendees)

Patient health questionnaires GAD-7

Eating disorders were not assessed

Kuwait

Ebrahim, Alkazemi, Zafar, & Kubow (2019) [86]

N = 400, male, university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

46.2% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 20.4 (14.1)

Lebanon

Aoun et al., (2015) [54]

N = 123, female, age 15–55, primary health care center visitors

Validation SCOFF

SCOFF

28% above clinical cut off

M (SD) not reported

Oman

Kayano et al., (2008), Viernes et al., (2007) [52, 58]

N = 248, 135 Omani, 113 Westerners resided in Oman, age 13–18

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

EDI 2 DT| Saudi norms

% above cut-off not reported

EAT: Omani: M (SD) = 8.48 (1.64), European expatriates: M (SD) = 5.98 (1.83)

EDI2 DT: Omani: M (SD) = 4.12 (0.60), European expatriates: M (SD) = 10.14 (0.64).

Country

Authors (year)

Participants

Study design

Measures| Norms

Elevated scores at eating disorder screeners M (SD)

Oman

Al Adawi et al., (2002) [29]

N = 293, 106 teenagers, mean age = 15.12, 100 adults, mean age = 38.71; 87 Western teenagers resided in Oman, mean age = 15.10

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

Bulimic Investigatory Test

EAT: 33% Omani teenagers, 9% Western teenagers above clinical cut off

M (SD) not reported

Bulimic Investigatory Test: 12.3% Omani teenagers, 2% Omani adults, 18.4% Western teenagers

Palestinians residing in the Northern and Haifa district

Latzer et al., (2009) [70]

N = 1141, female, age: 12–18, 81.2% Islamic, 11.2% Christian, 7.6% Druze

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

25% above clinical cut off

M (SD) age 12–13 = 16.5 (11.9), age 14–15 = 15.0 (10.5), age 16–18 = 15.2 (9.7)

Palestinians residing in Nablus

Saleh et al., (2018) [36]

N = 2001, female university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

SCOFF

EAT: 28.6% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 15.27 (10.38)

SCOFF: 38.2% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 1.25 (1.032)

Qatar and Lebanon

Kronfol et al., (2018) [55]

N = 1841, 167 Lebanon, 785 Qatar, 889 USA university students

Cross sectional

SCOFF

Arab students: 20.4% above clinical cut off

American students: 6.8% above clinical cut off

M (SD) not reported

Saudi Arabia

Al- Subaie (2000) [87]

N = 1179, female, mean age = 16.1

Cross sectional

EDI 2 DT

15.9% above clinical cut off

M 6.7 SD not reported

Saudi Arabia

Bano et al., (2013) [67]

N = 100, female, age 18–25

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

Female: 24% above clinical cut off, male: 2% above clinical cut off

M (SD) female = 16.89 (10.52), M (SD) male = 9.88 (13.26)

Saudi Arabia

Fallatah et al., (2015) [66]

N = 425, female, age 15–18

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

32.9% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 17.98 (9.29)

UAE

Eapen et al., (2006) [20]

N = 495, female, age 13–18

Cross sectional

EAT 40| Western norms

23.4% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 15.19 (1.94)

UAE

Musaiger, Al-Mannai, & Al-Lalla (2014) [79]

N = 731, male, age 15–18, resided in 5 different Emirates

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Saudi norms

% above clinical cut off: Dubai 49.1%, Ajman 33.1%, Al Fujairah 48.0%, Ras al Khaima 34.8%, Um al Quain 39.7%

M (SD) not reported

UAE

O’Hara et al., (2016) [74]

N = 420, female, mean age = 23.12, university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

Teasing frequency from Project eating attitudes and teens

Weight and body related shame and guilt scale

EAT 26: 30% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 15.57 (9.03)

UAE

Schulte & Thomas (2013) [89]

N = 361, 77 male, 284 female, age 11–19

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

20% above clinical cut off

M (SD) female = 12.88 (8.91), M (SD) male = 11.21 (9.81)

UAE

Thomas et al., (2010) [14]

N = 228, female, mean age = 19.8, university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

24.6% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 13.31 (10.21)

UAE

Thomas, O’Hara, et al., (2018) [53]

N = 1069, female, university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

29.0% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 15.80 (9.39)

UAE

Thomas, O’Hara, et al., (2018) [18]

N = 209, female, university students

Cross sectional

EAT 26| Western norms

30.3% above clinical cut off

M (SD) = 14.17 (9.40)