Perfectionism and eating attitudes in Portuguese university students.
OBJECTIVE
The main objective was to explore which are the dimensions of perfectionism that are linked to disordered eating behaviour (EB) in a large non-clinical sample of both genders.


METHODS
One thousand one hundred and sixty-three undergraduate students of the University of Coimbra completed the Portuguese versions of the multidimensional perfectionism scale (MPS) and the eating attitudes test (EAT-40).


RESULTS
In both genders, the MPS total score was associated with the EAT total score and all EAT dimensions (except for socially prescribed perfectionism in females). Self-oriented perfectionism (SOP) and socially prescribed perfectionism (SPP) were associated with EAT total score, diet concerns (DC) and bulimic behaviour (BB) in females while in males the social prescribed perfectionism (SPP) was the useful predictor of EAT total score, BB and social pressure to eat (SPE).


CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm that in general high levels of perfectionism are associated with abnormal EB. This was the case for both genders for SPP but for SOP for females only. The association for other oriented perfectionism (OOP) was greater for males than for females.
Instituto de Psicologia Médica, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal. amacedo@ci.uc.pt
António
A
Macedo
Maria João
MJ
Soares
Maria Helena
MH
Azevedo
Ana
A
Gomes
Ana Telma
AT
Pereira
Berta
B
Maia
Michele
M
Pato
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D005163:Factor Analysis, Statistical; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology*; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010551:Personality; D011174:Portugal; D011581:Psychological Tests; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology