Background: Eating disorders are mental disorders characterized by developing pathological behavior against food intake and an obsession with weight control which, nowadays, have a higher prevalence in adolescents and young people attending university. Objective: The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of eating disorders in foreign and local students at the Mexico Valley University in Veracruz. Methods: A sample of one hundred students was taken, which were evaluated through a survey containing the SCOFF test, a validated test for eating disorders screening. Within these surveys, the study variables were sex, type of student (foreign or local) and the five questions corresponding to the test. Results: The population that includes foreign students is the one with the highest prevalence of eating disorders, obtaining that, for each local student with these disorders, there are two point six outsiders with the same condition. Conclusions: The prevalence of this type of disorders is higher in those students belonging to the Mexico Valley University in Veracruz who are foreign compared to those considered local. The reason for this higher prevalence in this type of students should be explored more thoroughly in future research.
