Knowledge of and attitudes towards eating disorders in late - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Knowledge of and attitudes towards eating disorders in late adolescence: a preliminary study

Anna Brytek-Matera, Ewa Bobrska, Kamila Czepczor, Katarzyna Kościcka

University of Social Sciences and Humanities

Katowice

Prevalence

• Eating disorders occur in approximately 9% of

the total population (Weltzin et al., 2005)

• Western countries:

Female: 0.3 – 2.2% Male: 0.16% - 0.3%

(Hoek and van Hoeken, 2003; Favaro et al., 2004; Keski-Rahkonen et al., 2007)

Prevalence

• Poland:

Anorexia nervosa 0.8% and 1.8% (Namysłowska, 1997) Bulimia nervosa Female: 0.34% and 1.5% Male: 0% to 0.70%

(Ricciardelli and McCabe, 2004; Bąk, 2008)

Aim of the study

• The first purpose was to evaluate eating disorder

attitudes and behaviours as well as knowledge about eating disorders in late adolescent women and men.

• The second purpose was to assess the relationship

between measurable variables in both groups.

Hypotheses

H1: Female adolescents will present more attitudinal and behavioural features of eating disorder psychopathology in comparison with male adolescents. H2: Female adolescents’ knowledge of issues relevant to eating disorders will be higher than male adolescents’. H3: Knowledge about eating disorder psychopathology will be negatively associated with attitudes and behaviours related with eating disorders.

Participants

Female N = 34 Male N = 32

Age 20.15 years (SD = 1.72) 20.92 years (SD = 2.38)

Both groups were screened for the absence of eating disorders (adolescents suffering from anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were excluded).

Materials

The Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (Fairburn and

Beglin, 1994) assesses the core attitudinal features of eating

disorders psychopathology and is composed of four dimensions:

• dietary restraint
• shape concerns
• weight concerns
• eating concerns.

Materials

The Eating Disorders Awareness Test (Schmidt et al., 1995) assesses awareness of the risks and maintaining factors of eating disorders.

Results

Measure Female adolescents Male adolescents M ± SD M ± SD p EDE-Q Restrain .85 ± 1.17 .52 ± .66 .337 Eating concern .68 ± 1.34 .28 ± .58 .291 Weight concern 2.07 ± 1.73 .94 ± .99 .025 Shape concern 1.73 ± 1.66 .65 ± .75 .028 EDAT 31.92 ± 5.44 24.71 ± 6.57 .000

Table 1. Means and standard deviations for measured variables in female and male adolescents

• Among all participants, 52.9% of female adolescents and

18.75% of male adolescents declared an interest in the field

• f eating disorders.
• 72.2% of women and 50% of men most often derived their

knowledge about anorexia and bulimia nervosa from science press books and publications.

• 27.3% of women and 50% of men updated their knowledge

about eating disorders through the media (particularly the Internet and television).

Results

Eating concern Shape concern Weight concern Knowledge about eating disorders Restraint .668*** .592*** .658*** .095 Eating concern .740*** .766*** .141 Shape concern .951*** .240 Weight concern .062 Knowledge about eating disorders *** p < .001

Results

Table 2. Correlations between the study variables among female adolescents

Results

Eating concern Shape concern Weight concern Knowledge about eating disorders Restraint .528 .601* .752** .254 Eating concern .093 .214 .073 Shape concern .939***

• .046

Weight concern

• .049

Knowledge about eating disorders * p < .05 ** p < .01 *** p < .001

Table 3. Correlations between the study variables among male adolescents

Conclusions

• Female

adolescents will present more attitudinal and behavioural features of eating disorder psychopathology in comparison with male adolescents.

Hipothesis H1

• PARTIALLY

CONFIRMED

Research results

• Chwałczyoska and

Bembenek (2010) reported that females also spent more time focusing on their appearance.

• Results

are consistent with another study by Sepulveda et al. (2008).

Discussion

• Female

adolescents knowledge of issues relevant to eating disorders will be higher than male adolescents. Hipothesis H2

• CONFIRMED

Research results

• Respondents

mainly

• btained their

knowledge from the Internet and the mass media (Myszkowska- Ryciak et al., 2012; Ziora et al., 2009).

• Women tended to be better

acquainted with eating disorders (Chwałczyoska and Bembenek, 2010; Gadola et al., 2012; Ziora et al., 2006).

• The level of knowledge and

awareness about eating disorders is not enough. Godala et al. (2012) proved that 90% of interviewees declared they knew the concept

• f

anorexia nervosa, but verification in later research showed that

• nly

17%

• f

them had appropriate knowledge of this disorder.

Discussion

• Knowledge about

eating disorder psychopathology will be negatively associated with attitudes and behaviours related with eating disorders.

Hipothesis H3

• NOT CONFIRMED

Research results

• Women were more likely than

men to show concern about weight and to slim by using low-calorie diets, laxatives or emetics (Sepulveda et al., 2008).

• Eating

restriction was associated with an eating concern in both sexes but men were more likely than women to admit to diet (Gadola et al., 2012; Myszkowska-Ryciak et al., 2012; Ziora et al., 2009).

• Women were more likely than

men to show concern about weight and to slim by using low-calorie diets, laxatives or emetics (Sepulveda et al., 2008).

• As Sepulveda et al. (2008)

emphasize, there are several studies of college populations that estimate the at-risk prevalence for eating disorders to be between 7.3% and 18% in females and 0.9% and 3% in male.

Discussion

Thank you for your attention

Students’ scientific association

consilii@swps.edu.pl