Dimensions of Family Functioning and Eating Disorder Symptoms Among Latina and Caucasian College Students

ABSTRACT Introduction Eating disorders are often under-detected, which poses a serious threat to the health of individuals with eating disorder symptoms. There is evidence to suggest that the military represents a subpopulation that may be susceptible to high prevalence of eating disorders and vulnerable to their underdiagnosis. Underreporting of eating disorder symptoms in the military could lead to this underdiagnosis of individuals with eating disorder symptoms. The purpose of this study was to examine the association between military affiliation and eating disorder symptoms among college students and the likelihood of eating disorder diagnosis among those with eating disorder symptoms using a large, diverse college-aged sample of both military-involved and civilian students. Materials and Methods Participants for this study were from the 2015-2016, 2016-2017, and 2017-2018 Healthy Minds Study (HMS). Healthy Minds Study is a large, cross-sectional cohort study of both undergraduate and graduate students from universities and colleges across the United States and Canada. The Healthy Minds Study survey questions include assessment of demographic information, military status, self-reported eating disorder symptoms using the SCOFF questionnaire, and self-reported eating disorder diagnosis. Univariate analysis, chi-square analysis, and logistic regression with an unadjusted and covariate adjusted model were used to examine the association between eating disorder symptoms and military affiliation. These analyses were also used to examine the association between eating disorder diagnosis among those with eating disorder symptoms and military affiliation. All analyses were conducted using SPSS. Results The prevalence of eating disorder symptoms was high among both the civilian (20.4%) and military-involved (14.4%) students. Among females, there was a significantly higher (P value = .041) prevalence of eating disorder symptoms among civilian college students (24.7%) compared to military-involved students (21.3%). Among those with eating disorder symptoms, the prevalence of diagnosis was low in both military and civilian students. Specifically, the prevalence of diagnosis was significantly lower (P value = .032) among military-involved college students (10.8%) compared to civilian college students (16.4%). Differences in sociodemographic characteristics (e.g., gender, race/ethnicity, and age) among military-involved and civilian college students appear to explain this association. Conclusions The underdiagnosis of eating disorders is far too common, and this represents a threat to the health of military and civilian populations alike. Underdiagnosis of eating disorders within military environments may be due to underreporting, particularly among men and racial/ethnic minority groups.

Download Full-text

An examination of the relationships between acculturative stress, perceived discrimination, and eating disorder symptoms among ethnic minority college students

Eating Behaviors ◽

10.1016/j.eatbeh.2017.12.003 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 28 ◽

pp. 25-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Mun Yee Kwan ◽

Kathryn H. Gordon ◽

Allison M. Minnich

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Ethnic Minority ◽

Acculturative Stress ◽

Perceived Discrimination ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽

Minority College Students ◽

Ethnic Minority College Students

Download Full-text

Body weight, dieting, and eating disorder symptoms among college students, 1982 to 1992

American Journal of Psychiatry ◽

10.1176/ajp.152.11.1623 ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 152 (11) ◽

pp. 1623-1629 ◽

Cited By ~ 120

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Body Weight ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms

Download Full-text

Obstetric complications and mother’s age at delivery are predictors of eating disorder symptoms among Health Science college students

Einstein (São Paulo) ◽

10.1590/s1679-45082015ao3366 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 525-529 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mara Cristina Lofrano-Prado ◽

Wagner Luiz do Prado ◽

Mauro Virgilio Gomes de Barros ◽

Thiago Ricardo dos Santos Tenório ◽

Sandra Lopes de Souza

Keyword(s):

College Students ◽

Eating Disorders ◽

Anorexia Nervosa ◽

Eating Disorder ◽

Bulimia Nervosa ◽

Eating Attitudes ◽

Health Science ◽

Obstetric Complications ◽

Eating Disorder Symptoms ◽

Mother’S Age

ABSTRACT Objective To identify the association between perinatal/neonatal factors and symptoms of eating disorders among college students. Methods Four hundred and eight college students (283 women), aged 18 to 23 years old, enrolled in the first semester of a Bachelor of Health Science degree program were included in the sample. Eating disorder symptoms and body image dissatisfaction were assessed with the Eating Attitudes Test and Bulimic Investigatory Test of Edinburgh. Information regarding birth weight, breastfeeding, obstetric complications, mother’s age at delivery, type of delivery, and birth order were self-reported by the volunteers after consulting their parents. Association between perinatal and neonatal factors and symptoms of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa were assessed by binary logistic regression adjusted for sex, age, and body mass index. Results The likelihood of presenting with symptoms of anorexia nervosa was 0.5 time lower for those students born from the oldest mothers (odds ratio – OR=0.37; 95% confidence interval – 95%CI: 0.17-0.83). Relative to bulimia nervosa, the risk was higher among students who reported obstetric complications (OR=2.62; 95%CI: 1.03-6.67). Conclusion We observed the association between perinatal and neonatal factors with symptoms of eating disorders in college students.

Download Full-text