INTRODUCTION: Binge eating (BE) among women has been regarded as a risk factor for the diagnosis of more severe eating disorders. The present study aimed to investigate the prevalence of BE among female university students and its association with body mass index (BMI) and age. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study evaluated 491 female university students aged between 17 and 55 years in three fields of knowledge (exact sciences, health and humanities) at the Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (Unisinos), located in São Leopoldo (Brazil). A self-administered questionnaire was used to evaluate BE frequency on the Binge Eating Scale (BES). Height and weight data were provided by study subjects. RESULTS: Prevalence of BE among the students was 18.1%. Frequency of BMI > 25 kg/m² was 11.4%, of which 75.8% were over 20 years old. Significant association was found between BMI and BE in the general group, since 54.5% of the overweight and obese students presented BE (p < 0.001). Age was not associated with BE. Students in the health field with age < 20 years showed greater frequency of BE (p < 0.05), whereas this result was reversed in the humanities (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The self-administered questionnaire revealed a high prevalence of BE among female university students and an association with overweight. Further investigations are necessary to confirm the results and evaluate the presence of other eating disorders.
Eating disorders; binge eating; gender
