title: Zinc-specific food frequency questionnaire to assess college women's eating habits.
abstract: Zinc deficiency has been reported in individuals with eating disorders, the risks of which increase during the adolescent and early adult years. A food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) specific for zinc-rich foods was tested for its usefulness in identifying problematic eating behaviour tendencies in college-age women. Ninety-two female students enrolled in a university introductory psychology course volunteered to complete demographic information, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and a zinc-specific FFQ (ZnFFQ). Relationships among estimated zinc intakes, food/lifestyle habits, and eating attitude variables were examined. Twenty-five women had estimated intakes below the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for zinc. Individuals in the highest zinc intake group (over twice the RDA) had a tendency to score higher on the EAT-26 and the bulimia subscale. Vegetarians also scored high on the EAT-26. Although our data are limited, the ZnFFQ should be studied further to determine whether it could play a useful role in identifying individuals at risk for bulimia. The ZnFFQ is a simple, non-confrontational assessment tool and may be a helpful starting point for identifying women with unhealthy eating habits.
authors: Department of Health, West Chester University of Pennsylvania, West Chester, PA, USA.
authors: Janet M
authors: JM
authors: Lacey
authors: Deanne U
authors: DU
authors: Zotter
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004032:Diet / Q000523:psychology; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000523:psychology; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014495:Universities; D055815:Young Adult; D015032:Zinc / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015032:Zinc