Association Between Nursing Education and Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders Among Undergraduate Students
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Study Design and Settings
2.2. Population and Study Sample
2.3. Data Collection
2.4. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Supplementary Materials
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Public Involvement Statement
Guidelines and Standards Statement
Use of Artificial Intelligence
Conflicts of Interest
Abbreviations
| EBDs | Eating behavior disorders |
| aOR | Adjusted odds ratio |
| OR | Odds Ratio |
| CI | Confidence Intervale |
| RSES | Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale |
| EAT-26 | Eating Attitudes Test |
| HAM-A | Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale |
References
- Treasure, J.; Duarte, T.A.; Schmidt, U. Eating Disorders. Lancet 2020, 395, 899–911. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Morgan, C.M.; Vecchiatti, I.R.; Negrão, A.B. Etiology of Eating Disorders: Biological, Psychological and Sociocultural Determinants. Braz. J. Psychiatry 2002, 24, 18–23. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Qian, J.; Wu, Y.; Liu, F.; Zhu, Y.; Jin, H.; Zhang, H.; Wan, Y.; Li, C.; Yu, D. An Update on the Prevalence of Eating Disorders in the General Population: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Eat Weight Disord. 2022, 27, 415–428. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Alhaj, O.A.; Fekih-Romdhane, F.; Sweidan, D.H.; Saif, Z.; Khudhair, M.F.; Ghazzawi, H.; Nadar, M.S.; Alhajeri, S.S.; Levine, M.P.; Jahrami, H. The Prevalence and Risk Factors of Screen-Based Disordered Eating among University Students: A Global Systematic Review, Meta-Analysis, and Meta-Regression. Eat. Weight. Disord. 2022, 27, 3215–3243. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Castejón, M.Á.; Berengüí, R. Diferencias de Personalidad y En Variables Psicológicas Relacionadas Con El Riesgo de Trastornos de La Conducta Alimentaria. An. De Psicol. 2020, 36, 64–73. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Hernández-Mariano, J.Á.; Hurtado-Salgado, E.; Velázquez-Núñez, M.D.C.; Cupul-Uicab, L.A. Prevalence of Academic Burnout Among Nursing Students: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. J. Nurs. Educ. 2024, 63, 533–539. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Consuelos-Sánchez, K.S.; Cano-Estrada, A.; Castañeda-Márquez, A.C.; Hernández-Mariano, J.Á. Nursing Training and Its Association with Burnout Syndrome among Mexican Undergraduate Students. Salud Ment. 2023, 46, 97–104. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- DeBoer, L.B.; Smits, J.A.J. Anxiety and Disordered Eating. Cognit. Ther. Res. 2013, 37, 887–889. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Bagrowska, P.; Gawęda, Ł. Emotional Eating—A Response to or One of the Causes of Paranoia-like Thoughts? The Bidirectional Mediating Role of Avoidant Coping. Psychiatry Res. Commun. 2023, 3, 100141. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rosenbaum, D.L.; White, K.S. The Role of Anxiety in Binge Eating Behavior: A Critical Examination of Theory and Empirical Literature. Health Psychol. Res. 2013, 1, e19. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef][Green Version]
- Doré, C. Self esteem: Concept analysis. Rech. Soins Infirm. 2017, 129, 18–26. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Mas, M.B.; Avargues Navarro, M.L.; López Jiménez, A.M.; Pérez, I.T.; Del Río Sánchez, C.; Pérez San Gregorio, M.Á. Personality Traits and Eating Disorders: Mediating Effects of Self-Esteem and Perfectionism. Int. J. Clin. Health Psychol. 2011, 11, 205–227. [Google Scholar]
- Labrague, L.J.; McEnroe–Petitte, D.M.; De Los Santos, J.A.A.; Edet, O.B. Examining Stress Perceptions and Coping Strategies among Saudi Nursing Students: A Systematic Review. Nurse Educ. Today 2018, 65, 192–200. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Silva, V.L.d.S.; do Carmo, N.C.; de Oliveira, R.A.P.; de Fátima Paiva, B.M.; Camelo, S.H.H. Fatores de Estresse No Último Ano Do Curso de Graduação Em Enfermagem: Percepção Dos Estudantes. Rev. Enferm. UERJ 2011, 19, 121–126. [Google Scholar]
- Cvetković-Vega, A.; Maguiña, J.L.; Soto, A.; Lama-Valdivia, J.; López, L.E.C. Cross-sectional studies. Rev. Fac. Med. Hum. 2021, 21, 179–185. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Smilkstein, G. The Family APGAR: A Proposal for a Family Function Test and Its Use by Physicians. J. Fam. Pract. 1978, 6, 1231–1239. [Google Scholar]
- Cárdenas, D.J.; Cárdenas, S.J.; Villagrán, K.L.; Guzmán, B.Q. Validez de la Escala de Autoestima de Rosenberg en universitarios de la Ciudad de México. Rev. Latinoam. De Med. Conduct./Lat. Am. J. Behav. Med. 2016, 5, 18–22. [Google Scholar]
- Jiménez, A.Z.; Quintal, M.J.D.L. Autoeficacia Académica y su Relación con los Niveles de Ansiedad y Depresión en Universitarios. Cienc. Lat. Rev. Científica Multidiscip. 2023, 7, 3873–3887. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Garner, D.M.; Olmsted, M.P.; Bohr, Y.; Garfinkel, P.E. The Eating Attitudes Test: Psychometric Features and Clinical Correlates. Psychol. Med. 1982, 12, 871–878. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Alvarez-Rayón, G.; Mancilla-Díaz, J.M.; Vázquez-Arévalo, R.; Unikel-Santoncini, C.; Caballero-Romo, A.; Mercado-Corona, D. Validity of the Eating Attitudes Test: A Study of Mexican Eating Disorders Patients. Eat Weight Disord. 2004, 9, 243–248. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Cañón-Montañez, W.; Rodríguez-Acelas, A. Use of Causal Diagrams for Nursing Research: A Tool for Application in Epidemiological Studies. Investig. Educ. Enferm. 2019, 37, 1–9. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Digitale, J.C.; Martin, J.N.; Glymour, M.M. Tutorial on Directed Acyclic Graphs. J. Clin. Epidemiol. 2022, 142, 264–267. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Tennant, P.W.G.; Murray, E.J.; Arnold, K.F.; Berrie, L.; Fox, M.P.; Gadd, S.C.; Harrison, W.J.; Keeble, C.; Ranker, L.R.; Textor, J.; et al. Use of Directed Acyclic Graphs (DAGs) to Identify Confounders in Applied Health Research: Review and Recommendations. Int. J. Epidemiol. 2021, 50, 620–632. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pérez-Briones, N.G.; Muñoz-Morales, A.; Covarrubias-Solís, I.F.; Villa-Rivas, F.; Castillo-Díaz, R.; Pérez-Briones, N.G.; Muñoz-Morales, A.; Covarrubias-Solís, I.F.; Villa-Rivas, F.; Castillo-Díaz, R. Autoestima, inteligencia emocional, consumo de alcohol, tabaco, apoyo social y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de enfermería. Horiz. Sanit. 2024, 23, 613–621. Available online: https://revistahorizonte.ujat.mx/horizonte/es/article/view/5881/4453 (accessed on 4 November 2025).
- Nolasco, O.D.R.; Zarazú, L.N.; Veramendi, V.S.A.; Olivares, N.R.R.; Zorrilla, R.J.M.; Ríos, O.G.V.; Nolasco, O.D.R.; Zarazú, L.N.; Veramendi, V.S.A.; Olivares, N.R.R.; et al. Autoestima y rendimiento académico en estudiantes de Enfermería. Horiz. Rev. De Investig. En Cienc. De La Educ. 2022, 6, 759–765. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Kansakar, P.; Acharya, D.K. Self-Esteem Smong Undergraduate Students in a Nursing College in Kathmandu: A Descriptive Cross-Sectional Study. J. Inst. Med. Nepal 2024, 46, 86–93. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Pazhanivelu, V.; Matar Alshammari, R.; Rajeh Alharbi, S.; Mohammed Almoharef, M.; Abdulkhakim Alkhalaf, A.; Abdulwahab Almajhad, R.; Nabil Alabdulqader, M.; Nayef Aldivon, D. Association between Academic Motivation, Perceived Stress and Self-Esteem Among Nursing Students. Egypt. J. Health Care 2025, 16, 420–435. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Efstathiou, M.; Kakaidi, V.; Tsitsas, G.; Mantzoukas, S.; Gouva, M.; Dragioti, E. The Prevalence of Mental Health Issues among Nursing Students: An Umbrella Review Synthesis of Meta-Analytic Evidence. Int. J. Nurs. Stud. 2025, 163, 104993. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Ahmed, I.; Hazell, C.M.; Edwards, B.; Glazebrook, C.; Davies, E.B. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies Exploring Prevalence of Non-Specific Anxiety in Undergraduate University Students. BMC Psychiatry 2023, 23, 240. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Castillo Pimienta, C.; Chacón de la Cruz, T.; Díaz-Véliz, G. Ansiedad y fuentes de estrés académico en estudiantes de carreras de la salud. Investig. En Educ. Médica 2016, 5, 230–237. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Anić, P.; Mohorić, T.; Pokrajac-Bulian, A. Self-Esteem and Anxiety as Mediators in the Relationship Between Emotional Intelligence and Eating Disorder Symptoms. Psychol. Rep. 2024, 00332941241269451. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Lau, A.; Li, R.; Huang, C.; Du, J.; Heinzel, S.; Zhao, M.; Liu, S. Self-Esteem Mediates the Effects of Loneliness on Problematic Alcohol Use. Int. J. Ment. Health Addict 2023, 22, 3060–3072. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Gao, Q.; Fu, E.; Xiang, Y.; Jia, G.; Wu, S. Self-Esteem and Addictive Smartphone Use: The Mediator Role of Anxiety and the Moderator Role of Self-Control. Child. Youth Serv. Rev. 2021, 124, 105990. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Shen, X.; Wang, C.; Chen, C.; Wang, Y.; Wang, Z.; Zheng, Y.; Liu, H. Stress and Internet Addiction: Mediated by Anxiety and Moderated by Self-Control. Psychol. Res. Behav. Manag. 2023, 16, 1975–1986. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Yang, W.; Ning, L.; Miao, Q.; Xu, F.; Li, K.; Chen, X.; Lu, H. The Mediating Roles of Anxiety, Loneliness, Stress, and Depression in the Relationship between Cyberbullying and Non-Suicidal Self-Injury: Propensity Score Matching and Causal Mediation Analysis. BMC Psychiatry 2025, 25, 539. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Chen, X.-C.; Xu, J.-J.; Yin, X.-T.; Qiu, Y.-F.; Yang, R.; Wang, Z.-Y.; Han, Y.-W.; Wang, Q.-K.; Zhai, J.-H.; Zhang, Y.-S.; et al. Mediating Role of Anxiety and Impulsivity in the Association between Child Maltreatment and Lifetime Non-Suicidal Self-Injury with and without Suicidal Self-Injury. J. Affect. Disord. 2024, 347, 57–65. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Abdoli, M.; Schiechtl, E.; Rosato, M.S.; Mangweth-Matzek, B.; Cotrufo, P.; Hüfner, K. Body Image, Self-Esteem, Emotion Regulation, and Eating Disorders in Adults: A Systematic Review. Neuropsychiatrie 2025, 39, 118–132. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Krauss, S.; Dapp, L.C.; Orth, U. The Link Between Low Self-Esteem and Eating Disorders: A Meta-Analysis of Longitudinal Studies. Clin. Psychol. Sci. 2023, 11, 1141–1158. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- De Pasquale, C.; Morando, M.; Platania, S.; Sciacca, F.; Hichy, Z.; Di Nuovo, S.; Quattropani, M.C. The Roles of Anxiety and Self-Esteem in the Risk of Eating Disorders and Compulsive Buying Behavior. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2022, 19, 16245. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Zanella, E.; Lee, E. Integrative Review on Psychological and Social Risk and Prevention Factors of Eating Disorders Including Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa: Seven Major Theories. Heliyon 2022, 8, e11422. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Herman, J.P.; McKlveen, J.M.; Ghosal, S.; Kopp, B.; Wulsin, A.; Makinson, R.; Scheimann, J.; Myers, B. Regulation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenocortical Stress Response. Compr. Physiol. 2016, 6, 603–621. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]
- Rosenberg, N.; Bloch, M.; Ben Avi, I.; Rouach, V.; Schreiber, S.; Stern, N.; Greenman, Y. Cortisol Response and Desire to Binge Following Psychological Stress: Comparison between Obese Subjects with and without Binge Eating Disorder. Psychiatry Res. 2013, 208, 156–161. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Tafet, G.E.; Nemeroff, C.B. Pharmacological Treatment of Anxiety Disorders: The Role of the HPA Axis. Front. Psychiatry 2020, 11, 443. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Kong, L.-N.; Yang, L.; Pan, Y.-N.; Chen, S.-Z. Proactive Personality, Professional Self-Efficacy and Academic Burnout in Undergraduate Nursing Students in China. J. Prof. Nurs. 2021, 37, 690–695. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef] [PubMed]
- Marcos-Escobar, G.; Gómez, M.E.; Unanue, W. Understanding the Transition from Stress to Depression: A Longitudinal Mediational Analysis of Anxiety in Adults from the Metropolitan Region of Chile. Front. Psychol. 2025, 16, 1668518. [Google Scholar] [CrossRef]


| Nursing Students | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Features | Total (n = 433) | No (n = 225) | Yes (n = 208) | Chi-Square | Cramer’s V | p-Value |
| f (%) | f (%) | f (%) | ||||
| Age (in years) | ||||||
| 18–20 | 237 (54.73) | 128 (56.9) | 109 (52.4) | 0.88 | 0.05 | 0.064 |
| 21–25 | 170 (39.27) | 84 (37.3) | 86 (41.3) | |||
| 26 | 26 (6.0) | 13 (5.8) | 13 (6.3) | |||
| Sex | ||||||
| Women | 305 (70.44) | 119 (52.9) | 186 (89.4) | 69.28 | 0.40 | 0.001 |
| Man | 128 (29.56) | 106 (47.1) | 22 (10.6) | |||
| Marital status | 0.50 | 0.03 | ||||
| With partner | 31 (7.16) | 18 (92.0) | 13 (6.3) | 0.480 | ||
| No partner | 402 (92.84) | 207 (8.0) | 195 (93.7) | |||
| Having children | ||||||
| No | 409 (94.5) | 212 (94.2) | 197 (94.7) | 0.05 | 0.01 | 0.824 |
| Yes | 24 (5.5) | 13 (5.8) | 11 (5.3) | |||
| Practicing religion | ||||||
| No | 27 (6.2) | 15 (6.7) | 12 (5.8) | 0.15 | 0.02 | 0.700 |
| Yes | 406 (93.8) | 210 (93.3) | 196 (94.2) | |||
| Family monthly income | ||||||
| <543.2 American dollars | 276 (63.74) | 117 (52.0) | 159 (76.4) | 27.94 | 0.25 | 0.001 |
| ≥543.2 American dollars | 157 (36.26) | 108 (48.0) | 49 (23.6) | |||
| Years in program | ||||||
| 1–2 | 181 (41.80) | 97 (43.1) | 84 (40.4) | 0.33 | 0.03 | 0.566 |
| 3–4 | 252 (58.20) | 128 (56.9) | 124 (59.6) | |||
| Self-esteem | ||||||
| High | 222 (51.27) | 130 (57.8) | 92 (44.2) | 7.94 | 0.14 | 0.005 |
| Low | 211 (48.73) | 95 (42.2) | 116 (55.8) | |||
| Anxiety | ||||||
| Absent | 117 (27.02) | 78 (34.7) | 39 (18.7) | 13.89 | 0.18 | 0.001 |
| Present | 316 (72.98) | 147 (65.3) | 169 (81.3) | |||
| Risk for EBDs | ||||||
| Absent | 117 (27.02) | 195 (86.7) | 145 (69.7) | 18.42 | 0.21 | 0.001 |
| Present | 316 (72.98) | 30 (13.3) | 63 (30.3) | |||
| Psychological Variables | Total (n = 433) | Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No (n = 340) | Yes (n = 93) | Chi-Square | Cramer’s V | p-Value | ||
| f (%) | f (%) | f (%) | ||||
| Self-esteem | ||||||
| High | 222 (51.27) | 197 (57.9) | 25 (26.9) | 28.20 | 0.26 | 0.001 |
| Low | 211 (48.73) | 143 (42.1) | 68 (73.1) | |||
| Anxiety | ||||||
| Absent | 117 (27.02) | 104 (36.6) | 13 (14.0) | 10.22 | 0.15 | 0.001 |
| Present | 316 (72.98) | 236 (69.4) | 80 (86.0) | |||
| Nursing Students | Self-Esteem | Anxiety | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR (CI 95%) | p-Value | OR (CI 95%) a | p-Value | OR (CI 95%) | p-Value | OR (CI 95%) a | p-Value | |
| No | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. | Ref. | ||||
| Yes | 1.72 (1.17–2.52) | 0.005 | 1.64 (1.06–2.53) | 0.023 | 2.29 (1.47–3.58) | 0.001 | 2.06 (1.25–3.37) | 0.004 |
| Nursing Students | Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OR (CI 95%) | p-Value | OR (CI 95%) a | p-Value | |
| No | Ref. | Ref. | ||
| Yes | 2.82 (1.73–4.58) | 0.001 | 2.37 (1.37–4.09) | 0.002 |
Disclaimer/Publisher’s Note: The statements, opinions and data contained in all publications are solely those of the individual author(s) and contributor(s) and not of MDPI and/or the editor(s). MDPI and/or the editor(s) disclaim responsibility for any injury to people or property resulting from any ideas, methods, instructions or products referred to in the content. |
© 2025 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Share and Cite
Cano-Estrada, E.A.; Guerrero-Solano, J.A.; Rodríguez-Moreno, R.; López-Nolasco, B.; Mendoza-Mojica, S.A.; Razo-Blanco-Hernández, D.M.; Orbe-Orihuela, Y.C.; Sánchez-Velázquez, J.C.F.; Ordoñez-Villordo, E.; Hernández-Mariano, J.Á. Association Between Nursing Education and Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders Among Undergraduate Students. Nurs. Rep. 2025, 15, 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15120433
Cano-Estrada EA, Guerrero-Solano JA, Rodríguez-Moreno R, López-Nolasco B, Mendoza-Mojica SA, Razo-Blanco-Hernández DM, Orbe-Orihuela YC, Sánchez-Velázquez JCF, Ordoñez-Villordo E, Hernández-Mariano JÁ. Association Between Nursing Education and Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders Among Undergraduate Students. Nursing Reports. 2025; 15(12):433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15120433
Chicago/Turabian StyleCano-Estrada, Edith Araceli, José Antonio Guerrero-Solano, Raúl Rodríguez-Moreno, Benjamín López-Nolasco, Sheila Adriana Mendoza-Mojica, Dulce Milagros Razo-Blanco-Hernández, Yaneth Citlalli Orbe-Orihuela, Juan Carlos Fernando Sánchez-Velázquez, Erick Ordoñez-Villordo, and José Ángel Hernández-Mariano. 2025. "Association Between Nursing Education and Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders Among Undergraduate Students" Nursing Reports 15, no. 12: 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15120433
APA StyleCano-Estrada, E. A., Guerrero-Solano, J. A., Rodríguez-Moreno, R., López-Nolasco, B., Mendoza-Mojica, S. A., Razo-Blanco-Hernández, D. M., Orbe-Orihuela, Y. C., Sánchez-Velázquez, J. C. F., Ordoñez-Villordo, E., & Hernández-Mariano, J. Á. (2025). Association Between Nursing Education and Risk of Eating Behavior Disorders Among Undergraduate Students. Nursing Reports, 15(12), 433. https://doi.org/10.3390/nursrep15120433

