Body Dysmorphic Disorder Symptoms: Prevalence and Risk Factors in an Arab Middle Eastern Population
Year: 2022
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Background: The present study examined the prevalence of and risk factors for symptoms of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) in the general population of Jeddah, a large port city in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This cross-sectional study surveyed a convenience sample of 520 adults. We used a validated self-screening measure to assess BDD, the body dysmorphic disorder questionnaire (BDDQ). Results: The prevalence of significant BDD symptoms among the general Saudi population was 8.8% (ie, those scoring above the cut off for BDD on the BDDQ). Over half (52%) of all respondents reported concerns about the attractiveness of their body parts, and of those expressing such concerns, 66% were preoccupied with these thoughts. Only 3% of all respondents opted for cosmetic surgery because of these concerns, and most of those individuals (69%) had only one surgery. Nearly 9% of all respondents reported that these concerns affected their relationships with family and friends. Almost 15% of all participants spent an hour or more each day thinking about these concerns. Patients who reported a history of depression were 3.8 times more likely to have BDD. Other variables included in the model predicting high BDD scores (eg, age, job status, and marital status) did not achieve statistical significance. Conclusion: Significant symptoms of BDD (based on the BDDQ) are not uncommon among the general population of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Risk factors for this condition were female gender, younger age, being unmarried, and in bivariate and multivariate analyses, history of depression and female gender. These findings underscore the need for increased awareness by clinicians of this disorder, particularly when treating patients with depressive disorder, particularly among women.
DOI: 10.2147/ijgm.s329942
Authors: Waleed Ahmed Alghamdi, Ahmed Hussein Subki, Hazim Abdulkarim Khatib, Nadeem Shafique Butt, Rahaf Ali Alghamdi, Mohammed Saad Alsallum, Ahmed Abdu Alharbi, Mohammad Nasser Almatrafi, Abdullah Ahmed Alobisi, Faten Al-Zaben, Harold G Koenig
Language: English
Subfield: Clinical Psychology
Field: Psychology
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,836
OpenAlex ID: W4220918755