{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,14]],"date-time":"2026-04-14T16:49:18Z","timestamp":1776185358173,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"7","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,29]],"date-time":"2024-03-29T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1711670400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Healthcare"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The transition to college is a period of higher risk of the development of eating disorders, with nutrition\/dietetics students representing a group of particular vulnerability. Hence, it is interesting to assess eating disorders, taking into consideration potential sources of bias, including social desirability. Our aims were to compare the risk of eating disorders between students of nutrition\/dietetics and those attending other courses and to study potential social desirability biases. A total of 799 higher education students (81.7% females) aged 18 to 27 years old completed a questionnaire assessing the risk of eating disorders (EAT-26) and social desirability (composite version of the Marlowe\u2013Crowne Social Desirability Scale). The proportion of students with a high risk of eating disorders was higher among females (14.5% vs. 8.2%, p = 0.044). Nutrition\/dietetics students did not differ from those attending other courses regarding the risk of eating disorders. The social desirability bias when assessing the risk of eating disorders was overall low (EAT-26 total score: r = \u22120.080, p = 0.024). Social desirability correlated negatively with the Diet (r = \u22120.129, p &lt; 0.001) and Bulimia and food preoccupation subscales (r = \u22120.180, p &lt; 0.001) and positively with Oral self-control (r = 0.139, p &lt; 0.001).<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/healthcare12070744","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,29]],"date-time":"2024-03-29T06:33:16Z","timestamp":1711693996000},"page":"744","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Risk of Eating Disorders and Social Desirability among Higher Education Students: Comparison of Nutrition Students with Other Courses"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"given":"Sandra","family":"Fernandes","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Carolina","family":"Costa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Ingrid Sayumi","family":"Nakamura","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9177-6423","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Rui","family":"Po\u00ednhos","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7710-4284","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Bruno M. P. M.","family":"Oliveira","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Porto, Rua do Campo Alegre, 823, 4150-180 Porto, Portugal"},{"name":"Laboratory of Artificial Intelligence and Decision Support, Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering\u2014Technology and Science, University of Porto, 4200-465 Porto, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,29]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Gellman, M.D., and Turner, J.R. (2013). Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine, Springer.","DOI":"10.1007\/978-1-4419-1005-9"},{"key":"ref_2","first-page":"280","article-title":"O papel dos factores socioculturais no desenvolvimento das perturba\u00e7\u00f5es do comportamento alimentar: Uma revis\u00e3o da literatura","volume":"12","author":"Machado","year":"2011","journal-title":"Psicol. Sa\u00fade Doen\u00e7as"},{"key":"ref_3","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"187","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2017.02.036","article-title":"Eating behaviour among nutrition students and social desirability as a confounder","volume":"113","author":"Freitas","year":"2017","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_4","unstructured":"(2013). American Psychiatric Association Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM-5, American Psychiatric Publishing. [5th ed.]."},{"key":"ref_5","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"521","DOI":"10.1097\/YCO.0000000000000641","article-title":"Review of the burden of eating disorders: Mortality, disability, costs, quality of life, and family burden","volume":"33","author":"Hoek","year":"2020","journal-title":"Curr. Opin. Psychiatry"},{"key":"ref_6","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"579","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-021-01179-4","article-title":"The relationship between the risk of eating disorder and meal patterns in University students","volume":"27","author":"Bilici","year":"2022","journal-title":"Eat Weight. Disord."},{"key":"ref_7","first-page":"1558","article-title":"Students of dietetics & nutrition; a high risk group for eating disorders?","volume":"28","author":"Mealha","year":"2013","journal-title":"Nutr. Hosp."},{"key":"ref_8","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"3","DOI":"10.1590\/S1415-52732001000400001","article-title":"Fatores de risco para o desenvolvimento de dist\u00farbios alimentares: Um estudo em universit\u00e1rias","volume":"14","author":"Fiates","year":"2001","journal-title":"Rev. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_9","first-page":"124","article-title":"Risco para desenvolvimento de transtornos alimentares em estudantes de Nutri\u00e7\u00e3o","volume":"18","author":"Penz","year":"2008","journal-title":"Sci. Med."},{"key":"ref_10","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"118","DOI":"10.4322\/nutrire.2012.010","article-title":"Uma abordagem psicossocial do estado nutricional e do comportamento alimentar de estudantes de nutri\u00e7\u00e3o","volume":"37","author":"Motta","year":"2012","journal-title":"Nutrire"},{"key":"ref_11","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"106","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1747-0080.2005.00015.x","article-title":"Aspiring dietitians study: A pre-enrolment study of students motivations, awareness and expectations relating to careers in nutrition and dietetics","volume":"62","author":"Hughes","year":"2005","journal-title":"Nutr. Diet."},{"key":"ref_12","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1923","DOI":"10.4236\/psych.2019.1014124","article-title":"Influence of body dissatisfaction in the choice of the career of student\u2019s new entry to nutrition","volume":"10","year":"2019","journal-title":"Psychology"},{"key":"ref_13","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"e121","DOI":"10.1007\/BF03327809","article-title":"A study of eating attitudes and related factors in a sample of first-year female Nutrition and Dietetics students of Harokopion University in Athens, Greece","volume":"14","author":"Gonidakis","year":"2009","journal-title":"Eat. Weight. Disord."},{"key":"ref_14","first-page":"192","article-title":"Diferen\u00e7as na percep\u00e7\u00e3o da imagem corporal, no comportamento alimentar e no estado nutricional de universit\u00e1rias das \u00e1reas de sa\u00fade e humanas","volume":"31","author":"Laus","year":"2009","journal-title":"Rev. Psiquiatr. RS"},{"key":"ref_15","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"206","DOI":"10.1556\/2006.4.2015.029","article-title":"Eating disorder risk, exercise dependence, and body weight dissatisfaction among female nutrition and exercise science university majors","volume":"4","author":"Harris","year":"2015","journal-title":"J. Behav. Addict."},{"key":"ref_16","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"221","DOI":"10.1186\/s12967-014-0221-2","article-title":"University courses, eating problems and muscle dysmorphia: Are there any associations?","volume":"12","author":"Bo","year":"2014","journal-title":"J. Transl. Med."},{"key":"ref_17","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"298","DOI":"10.4067\/S0717-75182007000400003","article-title":"Trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en estudiantes de la carrera de nutrici\u00f3n y diet\u00e9tica","volume":"34","author":"Behar","year":"2007","journal-title":"Rev. Chil. Nutr."},{"key":"ref_18","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Yu, Z., and Tan, M. (2016). Disordered eating behaviors and food addiction among nutrition major college students. Nutrients, 8.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu8110673"},{"key":"ref_19","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"140","DOI":"10.1177\/0013164404267285","article-title":"Validation of Scores on the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale and the Balanced Inventory of Desirable Responding","volume":"65","author":"Leite","year":"2005","journal-title":"Educ. Psychol. Meas."},{"key":"ref_20","first-page":"40","article-title":"Faking it: Social desirability response bias in self-report research","volume":"25","year":"2008","journal-title":"Aust. J. Adv. Nurs."},{"key":"ref_21","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"310","DOI":"10.1016\/j.nut.2014.07.008","article-title":"Eating behavior in Portuguese higher education students: The effect of social desirability","volume":"31","author":"Oliveira","year":"2015","journal-title":"Nutrition"},{"key":"ref_22","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"109","DOI":"10.1037\/h0041627","article-title":"Social desirability and response to perceived situational demands","volume":"25","author":"Marlowe","year":"1961","journal-title":"J. Consult. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_23","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"227","DOI":"10.2466\/pr0.1988.63.1.227","article-title":"Social desirability response bias and the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale","volume":"63","author":"Ballard","year":"1988","journal-title":"Psychol. Rep."},{"key":"ref_24","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Kowalkowska, J., and Po\u00ednhos, R. (2021). Eating Behaviour among University Students: Relationships with Age, Socioeconomic Status, Physical Activity, Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Height Ratio and Social Desirability. Nutrients, 13.","DOI":"10.3390\/nu13103622"},{"key":"ref_25","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"31","DOI":"10.1080\/10640269308248264","article-title":"Social desirability and response bias in self-reports of \u201cemotional eating\u201d","volume":"1","author":"Allison","year":"1993","journal-title":"Eat Disord."},{"key":"ref_26","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"427","DOI":"10.1002\/(SICI)1097-4679(199806)54:4<427::AID-JCLP4>3.0.CO;2-K","article-title":"Inhibition of eating behavior: Negative cognitive effects of dieting","volume":"54","author":"Hart","year":"1998","journal-title":"J. Clin. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_27","unstructured":"(2024, January 08). Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26). Available online: https:\/\/www.eat-26.com."},{"key":"ref_28","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"871","DOI":"10.1017\/S0033291700049163","article-title":"The eating attitudes test: Psychometric features and clinical correlates","volume":"12","author":"Garner","year":"1982","journal-title":"Psychol. Med."},{"key":"ref_29","unstructured":"Santos, R., Francisco, R., Novo, R., and Oliveira, L. (2011). Portuguese Version of the EAT-26 (Research Version), University of Lisbon."},{"key":"ref_30","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"349","DOI":"10.1037\/h0047358","article-title":"A new scale of social desirability independent of psychopathology","volume":"24","author":"Crowne","year":"1960","journal-title":"J. Consult. Psychol."},{"key":"ref_31","first-page":"103","article-title":"Contributos para a valida\u00e7\u00e3o duma vers\u00e3o curta da Escala de Desejabilidade Social de Marlowe-Crowne com adolescentes portugueses","volume":"26","author":"Pechorro","year":"2012","journal-title":"Arq. Med."},{"key":"ref_32","unstructured":"Pinh\u00e3o, S., Po\u00ednhos, R., Afonso, C., Franchini, B., Oliveira, B., Teixeira, V., Moreira, P., Dur\u00e3o, C., Pinho, O., and Silva, D. (2014, January 10\u201311). Peso medido e peso referido: O que dizem os portugueses. Proceedings of the 4.\u00ba Congresso da Associa\u00e7\u00e3o Luso Galaica de Endocrinologia, Diabetes e Metabolismo, Porto, Portugal."},{"key":"ref_33","unstructured":"(2000). Obesity: Preventing and Managing the Global Epidemic, WHO. Report of a WHO Consultation."},{"key":"ref_34","unstructured":"Hulley, S.B., Cummings, S.R., Browner, W.S., Grady, D., and Newman, T.B. (2013). Designing Clinical Research: An Epidemiologic Approach, Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. Appendix 6C:79."},{"key":"ref_35","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"623","DOI":"10.1007\/s40519-017-0430-9","article-title":"Evaluation of disordered eating tendencies in young adults","volume":"22","author":"Sanlier","year":"2017","journal-title":"Eat. Weight. Disord."},{"key":"ref_36","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1642","DOI":"10.1590\/0034-7167-2017-0224","article-title":"Quality of life and eating attitudes of health care students","volume":"71","author":"Costa","year":"2018","journal-title":"Rev. Bras. de Enferm."},{"key":"ref_37","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"12","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2018.06.028","article-title":"Sex differences in disordered eating and food addiction among college students","volume":"129","author":"Yu","year":"2018","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_38","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"314","DOI":"10.1016\/j.appet.2013.08.024","article-title":"Eating behaviour patterns and BMI in Portuguese higher education students","volume":"71","author":"Oliveira","year":"2013","journal-title":"Appetite"},{"key":"ref_39","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"4895","DOI":"10.3390\/nu6114895","article-title":"Gender differences in exercise dependence and eating disorders in young adults: A path analysis of a conceptual model","volume":"6","author":"Meulemans","year":"2014","journal-title":"Nutrients"},{"key":"ref_40","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"569","DOI":"10.1002\/1098-108X(198603)5:3<569::AID-EAT2260050314>3.0.CO;2-3","article-title":"Correlation between the EAT-26 and the EAT-40, the Eating Disorders Inventory, and the Restrained Eating Inventory","volume":"5","author":"Berland","year":"1986","journal-title":"Int. J. Eat. Disord."},{"key":"ref_41","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"495","DOI":"10.1016\/j.psychres.2017.11.082","article-title":"Holy anorexia: Eating disorders symptomatology and religiosity among Muslim women in the United Arab Emirates","volume":"260","author":"Thomas","year":"2018","journal-title":"Psychiatry Res."},{"key":"ref_42","first-page":"1","article-title":"Padr\u00e3o alimentar anormal em estudantes universit\u00e1rias das \u00e1reas de nutri\u00e7\u00e3o, enfermagem e ci\u00eancias biol\u00f3gicas","volume":"1","author":"Santos","year":"2008","journal-title":"Ci\u00eancia Prax."}],"container-title":["Healthcare"],"original-title":[],"language":"en","link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9032\/12\/7\/744\/pdf","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2025,10,10]],"date-time":"2025-10-10T14:20:50Z","timestamp":1760106050000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.mdpi.com\/2227-9032\/12\/7\/744"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,29]]},"references-count":42,"journal-issue":{"issue":"7","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,4]]}},"alternative-id":["healthcare12070744"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/healthcare12070744","relation":{},"ISSN":["2227-9032"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2227-9032","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2024,3,29]]}}}