[Prevalence of eating disorders in secondary level students: A preliminary study].
OBJECTIVE
To determine the prevalence of eating disorders in secondary level students, as well as to determine the relationship between eating behaviour and personality traits.


METHODS
During the 1997-98 school year, 816 secondary level students from Langreo (Asturias) were evaluated.


RESULTS
Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) and Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Adult Form (EPQ-A).


RESULTS
The sample was made up of 415 males and 401 females [mean age (SD): 15.91 (1.37)]. Seventy-two <<possible cases>> of eating disorders were detected, 87.5% of which were females (p= 0.0000). The <<possible cases>> scored higher (p< 0.05) than their <<control>> counterparts on all EDI subscales, except perfectionism. The <<control>> females scored higher (p< 0.05) than the <<control>> males on the drive for thinness and dissatisfaction with one's body subscales, whereas the <<control>> males scored higher than the females on the perfectionism and maturity fears subscales. In both sexes, clinical features of neuroticism, introversion, and psychoticism were associated with higher scores (p< 0,05) on various EDI subscales.


CONCLUSIONS
Greater prevalence of <<possible>> eating disorders in females. The <<control>> subjects present a different eating behaviour profile based on sex. In both sexes, neuroticism, introversion, and psychoticism features favour a possible distortion of eating behaviour.
Sáiz Martínez
P A
PA
Area de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Oviedo, Oviedo, 33006, España. frank@correo.uniovi.es
González García-Portilla
M P
MP
Bascarán Fernández
M T
MT
Fernández Domínguez
J M
JM
Bousoño García
M
M
Bobes García
J
J
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010554:Personality Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D010555:Personality Inventory; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires