Comparative study of attitudes to eating between male and female students in the People's Republic of China.
OBJECTIVE
This study was conducted to compare eating attitudes and lifestyles of male and female college students in China (Beijing).


METHODS
The subjects of this study consisted of 217 male and 177 female college students. They were asked to fill out the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and a lifestyle questionnaire.


RESULTS
The percentages of those above the cutoff point on the EAT-26 for abnormal eating attitudes were 4.7% of male and 6.2% of female students. Body perception of being fat (distorted body image) was the factor most associated with abnormal eating attitudes.


CONCLUSIONS
Weight related concern was prevalent amongst the Chinese students. This suggests that the culture of the beauty of thinness is common among young students in Beijing, particularly female students.
Makino
M
M
Office for Gender and Health, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Hashizume
M
M
Tsuboi
K
K
Yasushi
M
M
Dennerstein
L
L
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003469:Culture; D015444:Exercise; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000145:classification*; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012890:Sleep; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires