Eating disorder risk behavior in Brazilian adolescents from low socio-economic level.
We investigated the prevalence, by gender, age and nutritional status, of eating disorder (ED) risk behavior, using a simplified self-report questionnaire in a probabilistic sample of 561, 12-19-year-old students from public schools in the metropolitan area of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Sex- and age-specific body mass index cut-offs were used to assess nutritional status. The prevalence of overweight/obesity was 16.2% and of being underweight was 2.5%; 37.3% of the adolescents studied presented symptoms of binge eating (BE) and 24.7% would go on a strict diet at least once a week, both cases more frequent in females (40.8% vs. 25.3%; 31.2% vs. 10.5%, respectively). Older students were shown to be more susceptible to binge eating and younger students more susceptible to strict dieting. Overweight adolescents were shown to be more susceptible to strict dieting than normal-weight adolescents, regardless of sex and age. The prevalence of binge eating and strict dieting was high in low-income Brazilian adolescents and females are at greater risk of developing eating disorders than males. The greater prevalence of strict dieting in younger students shows they are at nutritional risk.
de Souza Ferreira
Julia Elba
JE
Department of Nutrition, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Av. Brigadeiro Trompowisky, s/n, Ilha do Fundão, CCS, Bloco J 2 andar, Ilha do Fundão, Rio de Janeiro, RJ CEP 21.941-590, Brazil. jesferreira@globo.com <jesferreira@globo.com>
da Veiga
Gloria Valeria
GV
D000293:Adolescent; D000294:Adolescent Behavior; D017195:Adolescent Nutritional Physiological Phenomena; D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002032:Bulimia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D002648:Child; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D054368:Laxatives / Q000008:administration & dosage; D008297:Male; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D050177:Overweight / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology; D015995:Prevalence; D012309:Risk-Taking; D012649:Self Concept; D012737:Sex Factors; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013851:Thinness / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology
D054368:Laxatives