Eating disorder knowledge, attitudes, and awareness among Thai high school students: a cross-sectional study highlighting gaps in oral health awareness.

OBJECTIVES

This study assessed high school students' knowledge of eating disorder types and their health consequences, including oral health consequences; evaluated eating attitudes and eating disorder risk, and examined associations between participant characteristics and knowledge levels.

METHODS

A cross-sectional online survey was administered to 124 upper secondary school students in Thailand. The questionnaire assessed demographic information, knowledge of eating disorder types and their physical and oral health consequences, eating attitudes, and eating disorder risk using the SCOFF questionnaire. Associations between participant characteristics and knowledge scores were examined using the Mann-Whitney U test, Kruskal-Wallis test, independent t-test, and Spearman's rank correlation.

RESULTS

Knowledge was higher for anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder (approximately 60 % correct) than for bulimia nervosa and avoidant/restrictive food intake disorder (fewer than 50 % correct). General health consequence awareness was approximately 80 %; however, awareness of dental health consequences was markedly lower (36.3 %). Using the SCOFF questionnaire, 20.2 % of participants met the threshold for eating disorder risk. No statistically significant associations were found between knowledge scores and any demographic or personal characteristic. Most participants (87.9 %) supported school-based educational interventions.

CONCLUSIONS

Thai high school students demonstrate significant gaps in eating disorder knowledge, particularly regarding oral health consequences and less-publicized disorder types. Knowledge deficits are broadly distributed across demographic groups, supporting universal rather than targeted educational approaches. These findings highlight the need for school-based programs integrating oral health content and suggest a distinct role for dental professionals in early identification and prevention.