The Prevalence of Eating Disorders Among University Students and the Relationship with Some Individual Characteristics

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorders (EDs) among university students in a rural area of Turkey and to compare groups based on the sociodemographic data, history of child abuse and neglect, family roles and self-esteem with a normal control group regarding EDs. METHOD: Subjects who were chosen by simple random sampling method were consisted of 980 Cumhuriyet University students who agreed to participate out of the 1003 total students and were given a sociodemographic information form and an Eating Attitudes Test (EAT). Students who scored above a cutoff level on the EAT were interviewed using the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV axis I Disorders (SCID-I), Clinical Version. The Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, Family Assessment Device (FAD) and Childhood Abuse and Neglect Questionnaire Form were given to subjects in the control and study groups. RESULTS: Seventy-one of the 951 students (492 female, 459 male) who correctly filled out the EAT had a score above the cutoff level of 30 or higher. Of these 71 students, 21 (2.20%) were found to have an eating disorder based on the SCID-I. No subjects were found to have anorexia nervosa. Eighteen of the 21 subjects were female. Of these 18 female students, 15 (1.57%) were found to have bulimia nervosa and three (0.31%) were found to have binge eating disorder (BED). All of the three male subjects were diagnosed with BED (0.31%). The self-esteem of those in the study group was lower than those in the control group (p < 0.001). Subjects in the study group had more frequent histories of sexual and emotional abuse in childhood (p < 0.05). Also, in the study group scores showing communication in FAD families, unity and emotional attachment were statistically significantly lower than the control group (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: It has been observed from the results of this research that the frequency of bulimia nervosa and BED in this sample is so similar to Western samples. Besides that, self-esteem, child abuse and neglect, and family functions must be examined in detail because they are risk factors for EDs and affect the course of treatment.

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