Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil

OBJECTIVES: To analyze eating disorders among female university students and to assess the frequency of bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and inappropriate weight loss strategies in this population. METHODS: The sample comprised 214 female university students attending different health science programs at a university in southern Brazil, aged over 18 years, assessed using self-administered questionnaires. The 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and a supplementary questionnaire covering data on weight status and inappropriate weight loss strategies were used to assess dietary abnormalities. RESULTS: Mean age (± standard deviation) was 21±9.93 years, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.1±2.59. Among the respondents, 72.9% said they would like to weigh less, 29% reported the use of different weight loss methods (diuretics were the most common, followed by laxatives, amphetamine-derived drugs, and self-induced vomiting). With regard to EAT-26 scores, 22.4% (95%CI 17.7-27.1) revealed abnormal feeding patterns; BITE indicated that 9.8% (95%CI 6.5-13.1) were at risk for developing bulimia and 36.9% (95%CI 31.5-42.3) required clinical evaluation. Mean BMI was lower among students with normal scores on both tests, but no association was found between BMI and satisfaction with own weight. CONCLUSION: There was a strong trend toward eating disorders in the health science students assessed, as demonstrated by EAT-26 and BITE scores; inadequate weight loss strategies are frequently used as well.

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Main Authors: Pereira,Luiza do Nascimento Ghizoni, Trevisol,Fabiana Schuelter, Quevedo,João, Jornada,Luciano Kurtz
Format: Digital revista
Language:English
Published: Sociedade de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul 2011
Online Access:http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-81082011000100004
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spelling oai:scielo:S0101-810820110001000042011-05-23Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern BrazilPereira,Luiza do Nascimento GhizoniTrevisol,Fabiana SchuelterQuevedo,JoãoJornada,Luciano Kurtz Eating disorders anorexia bulimia students, health occupations OBJECTIVES: To analyze eating disorders among female university students and to assess the frequency of bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and inappropriate weight loss strategies in this population. METHODS: The sample comprised 214 female university students attending different health science programs at a university in southern Brazil, aged over 18 years, assessed using self-administered questionnaires. The 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and a supplementary questionnaire covering data on weight status and inappropriate weight loss strategies were used to assess dietary abnormalities. RESULTS: Mean age (± standard deviation) was 21±9.93 years, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.1±2.59. Among the respondents, 72.9% said they would like to weigh less, 29% reported the use of different weight loss methods (diuretics were the most common, followed by laxatives, amphetamine-derived drugs, and self-induced vomiting). With regard to EAT-26 scores, 22.4% (95%CI 17.7-27.1) revealed abnormal feeding patterns; BITE indicated that 9.8% (95%CI 6.5-13.1) were at risk for developing bulimia and 36.9% (95%CI 31.5-42.3) required clinical evaluation. Mean BMI was lower among students with normal scores on both tests, but no association was found between BMI and satisfaction with own weight. CONCLUSION: There was a strong trend toward eating disorders in the health science students assessed, as demonstrated by EAT-26 and BITE scores; inadequate weight loss strategies are frequently used as well.info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessSociedade de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do SulRevista de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul v.33 n.1 20112011-01-01info:eu-repo/semantics/articletext/htmlhttp://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-81082011000100004en10.1590/S0101-81082011005000002
institution SCIELO
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country Brasil
countrycode BR
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databasecode rev-scielo-br
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region America del Sur
libraryname SciELO
language English
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author Pereira,Luiza do Nascimento Ghizoni
Trevisol,Fabiana Schuelter
Quevedo,João
Jornada,Luciano Kurtz
spellingShingle Pereira,Luiza do Nascimento Ghizoni
Trevisol,Fabiana Schuelter
Quevedo,João
Jornada,Luciano Kurtz
Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
author_facet Pereira,Luiza do Nascimento Ghizoni
Trevisol,Fabiana Schuelter
Quevedo,João
Jornada,Luciano Kurtz
author_sort Pereira,Luiza do Nascimento Ghizoni
title Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
title_short Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
title_full Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
title_fullStr Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
title_full_unstemmed Eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern Brazil
title_sort eating disorders among health science students at a university in southern brazil
description OBJECTIVES: To analyze eating disorders among female university students and to assess the frequency of bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa, and inappropriate weight loss strategies in this population. METHODS: The sample comprised 214 female university students attending different health science programs at a university in southern Brazil, aged over 18 years, assessed using self-administered questionnaires. The 26-item version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh (BITE), and a supplementary questionnaire covering data on weight status and inappropriate weight loss strategies were used to assess dietary abnormalities. RESULTS: Mean age (± standard deviation) was 21±9.93 years, and mean body mass index (BMI) was 21.1±2.59. Among the respondents, 72.9% said they would like to weigh less, 29% reported the use of different weight loss methods (diuretics were the most common, followed by laxatives, amphetamine-derived drugs, and self-induced vomiting). With regard to EAT-26 scores, 22.4% (95%CI 17.7-27.1) revealed abnormal feeding patterns; BITE indicated that 9.8% (95%CI 6.5-13.1) were at risk for developing bulimia and 36.9% (95%CI 31.5-42.3) required clinical evaluation. Mean BMI was lower among students with normal scores on both tests, but no association was found between BMI and satisfaction with own weight. CONCLUSION: There was a strong trend toward eating disorders in the health science students assessed, as demonstrated by EAT-26 and BITE scores; inadequate weight loss strategies are frequently used as well.
publisher Sociedade de Psiquiatria do Rio Grande do Sul
publishDate 2011
url http://old.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0101-81082011000100004
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