title: Characterization of eating behavior disorders in school-aged children and adolescents: a population-based study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Cross-sectional study to assess the characteristics of the risk behaviors for eating disorders (EDs) in school children between 10 and 14 years of age in the city of Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
  
  
  METHODS
  1405 school-aged children were assessed, using the Eating Behaviours and Body Image Test (EBBIT) to screen for EDs. The normality of the continuing variables was tested using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test with Lilliefors correction. They were described as medians and interquartile intervals (25 and 75th percentiles).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The criteria that represented a condition of anorexia and/or bulimia nervosa were considered as strong indicators of risk for EDs in school-aged children who indicated the following behaviors with scores superior to the 75th percentile on the scales: "compulsive eating" 3.0% (CI95% 2.2-4.0); "dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating" 1.3% (CI95% 0.8-2.0); children scoring superior to the 30th percentile, "compulsive eating" + "dissatisfaction with body image/restrictive eating", 0.6% (CI95% 0.3-1.2); and superior to the 50th percentile; "compensatory behavior for hyperphagia" 6.7% (CI95% 5.4-8.1). In addition, greater vulnerability of the female gender was perceived, as well as an increase in the preliminary risk factors of EDs, such as advanced age, dissatisfaction with the body image linked to restrictive behaviors and the compulsive establishment of an eating pattern.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study shows the dimension of the problem in this ecological context and the urgent need for intervention programs, developed among different sectors, from the perspective of the adolescents' empowerment to prevent and minimize the vulnerability factors of the eating disorders.
authors.forename: Ana Márcia Tenório
authors.initials: AMT
authors.lastname: de Souza Cavalcanti
authors.forename: Ilma Kruze Grande
authors.initials: IKG
authors.lastname: de Arruda
authors.forename: Emilly Anne Cardoso
authors.initials: EAC
authors.lastname: Moreno de Lima
authors.forename: Waldemar Brandão
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Estela Maria Leite
authors.initials: EML
authors.lastname: Meirelles Monteiro
authors.forename: Luciane Soares
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Alcides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: da Silva Diniz
keywords: adolescents; anorexia nervosa; bulimia nervosa; child; eating behaviors; eating disorders; health promotion