Étudier la prévalence de l’addiction alimentaire chez une population non clinique de sujets adultes habitant à Sfax (Tunisie) et identifier les facteurs y associés.

Étude transversale ayant inclus 280 sujets. Les participants ont rempli, après consentement, une fiche de renseignements épidémiologiques, l’échelle Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), l’échelle Binge eating Scale (BES) et l’Inventaire abrégé de Dépression de Beck.

La prévalence diagnostique de l’addiction alimentaire a été de 26,1 %. Les prévalences du Binge Eating Disorder (BED) et de la dépression ont été estimées de 11,79 % et 33,2 % respectivement. Le diagnostic d’addiction alimentaire a été significativement plus fréquent chez les sujets de sexe féminin, d’âge entre 35 et 60 ans, avec surpoids/obésité et présentant un BED.

L’AA est un trouble assez fréquent dans notre population. Son association avec l’obésité et le BED explique la nécessité de son diagnostic et de sa prise en charge intégrative.

Food Addiction has become a popular area of study. However, no study of food addiction was conducted with samples from the Tunisian population. We then proposed in this work to study the prevalence and epidemiological profile of food addiction in a non-clinical population of adult volunteers living in Sfax (Tunisia) and to identify some associated factors.

Our study was cross-sectional, descriptive and analytical. It was conducted during the last three months of 2016, in various outpatient units at CHU Hédi-Chaker in Sfax, Tunisia. It consisted of a survey of the consultants’ guides, who were 18years of age and older and who agreed to participate in the study. These provided basic demographic information and completed a battery of self-assessment measures (The Yale Food Addiction Scale “YFAS”, the Binge eating Scale (BES) and Beck's Short Depression Inventory). Self-reported height and weight were used to calculate participants’ BMI.

Out of 350subjects solicited for the study, 280subjects (191women and 91men) agreed to participate. The average age of participants at the time of the survey was 45.65 years. Overweight and/or obesity were objectified in 67.5% of cases. The diagnosis of food addiction was made in 73subjects with a prevalence of 26.1%. A BED was objectified in 33 subjects, giving a prevalence of 11.79%. Depression was noted in 93subjects with a prevalence of 33.2% according to the Beck scale. The diagnosis of food addiction was significantly associated with female gender, age between 35 and 60years, overweight/obesity and with BED.

It follows from our study that food addiction is a fairly common disorder in our population. Its association with obesity and eating disorders explains the need for its diagnosis and an integrative management involving psychotherapeutic, pharmacological and social axes. The interest of this multidimensional clinical concept also lies in its implications in terms of prevention and public health, for example through the possibility of early prevention measures targeted at vulnerable patients.