Differential Associations of Restrained, Emotional, and External Eating with Eating Disorder Risk among Urban Adolescents in Bangladesh

Eating disorders are an emerging public health concern among adolescents and are often associated with unhealthy eating behaviors. Eating behavior phenotypes such as restrained, emotional, and external eating may increase vulnerability to eating disorder. However, evidence from low- and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, remains limited. This study examined the associations between these eating behaviors and the risk of eating disorders among urban adolescents in Bangladesh. A school-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 428 adolescents aged 12–17 years from selected secondary schools in Dhaka South City Corporation area between February and August 2025. The participants were selected using a multistage cluster random sampling design. Data were collected via a structured questionnaire that included socio-demographic and lifestyle information, the Dutch Eating Behavior Questionnaire, and the Eating Attitudes Test-26. Eating disorder risk was defined as an EAT-26 score ≥ 20. Group differences were examined using independent-samples t tests and chi-square tests. Logistic regression analyses were performed to estimate crude and adjusted odds ratios after controlling for age, sex, BMI category, breakfast skipping, sleep duration, screen time, physical activity, and household income. Among the 428 adolescents, 123 (28.7