Association between Eating Disorder and Depression among Medical Students of Islamic Azad university of Yazd in 2013

Eating disorder is one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders that cause various problems for physical health, psychological functioning and quality of life. The purpose of this study was to evaluate and determine the association between eating disorder and depression among medical students of Free University of Yazd, Iran in 2013.
In a descriptive study, a total of 400 medical students were selected via convenient sampling. Students were assessed by 2 questionnaires: Eat-26 and Beck. The data was analyzed using chi square, fisher exact and ANOVA tests.
According to the results,7/5% of students suffered from eating disorder , 25/8% from moderate, and 22% from severe depression. The relative frequency of eating among the participants according to age, gender, state of residence, and marital status were identical. However there was a significant correlation between the relative prevalence of eating disorder and depression severity among the medical students.
The findings of the present study imply that eating disorder had a significant association with severity of depression. Thus, educating of medical students by consulting centers can be effective for early diagnosis and treatment.