Bulimia: prevalence and component factors in college women.
Using a measure of bulimia (BULIT) that has demonstrated validity and reliability, the prevalence of bulimia among three samples of college females was found to range from 2.0 to 3.8%. These percentages are substantially lower than most previous reports would suggest. Factor analysis of the BULIT data revealed that the binging factor accounted for 63% of the variance. Other factors identified include vomiting, negative feelings about overeating, menstruation problems, preference for high caloric/easily ingested food, and weight fluctuations. The intercorrelations among the factors were examined and the implications of these data for the proposed revised DSM-III criteria for bulimia are discussed.
D000328:Adult; D002032:Bulimia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008370:Manuals as Topic; D014481:United States