A study of eating attitudes and related factors in a sample of first-year female Nutrition and Dietetics students of Harokopion University in Athens, Greece.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate eating attitudes and related factors in a sample of first-year female students of Harokopion University, Nutrition and Dietetics (ND) School.


METHODS
The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), a set of 12 male and female figures, and two questionnaires for demographic, clinical and nutritional data were administered to 53 ND students and 54 first-year female students of Athens Technological Institution Health Visitors (HV) School.


RESULTS
The ND group scored higher in EAT-26 total score (p=0.05) and Diet subscale (p=0.02) than the HV group. EAT-26 score in the ND group correlated significantly with dinner avoidance (correlation coefficient: 0.3, p=0.02). Logistic regression analysis showed that avoidance of dinner (p=0.03), choosing leaner ideal women figures (p=0.005) and larger self images (p=0.01) were the three factors that could predict high EAT-26 scores in the ND group (EAT-26>or=20).


CONCLUSIONS
First-year ND students might have more often disordered eating attitudes as opposed to students from other university programs.
Gonidakis
F
F
1st Psychiatric Department, Athens University Medical School, Vas Sofias 74, 11528 Athens, Greece. fragoni@yahoo.com
Sigala
A
A
Varsou
E
E
Papadimitriou
G
G
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001828:Body Image; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004046:Dietetics / Q000193:education; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000523:psychology; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D052756:Nutritional Sciences / Q000193:education*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*