Disordered eating behaviours and attitudes among adolescents in a middle-income country.

Autor: Harrison AN; Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica. abigail.harrison@uwimona.edu.jm., James Bateman CCB; Department of Sociology, Psychology and Social Work, Faculty of Social Sciences, UWI, Mona, Jamaica., Younger-Coleman NOM; Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), UWI, Mona, Jamaica., Williams MC; Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica., Rocke KD; Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), UWI, Mona, Jamaica., Clato-Day Scarlett SC; Department of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona, Jamaica., Chang SM; Caribbean Institute for Health Research (CAIHR), UWI, Mona, Jamaica.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Eating and weight disorders : EWD [Eat Weight Disord] 2020 Dec; Vol. 25 (6), pp. 1727-1737. Date of Electronic Publication: 2019 Nov 18.
DOI: 10.1007/s40519-019-00814-5
Abstrakt: Purpose: Adolescent-disordered eating behaviours and attitudes (DEBA) are noted to be increasing in prevalence internationally. The aim of this study was to explore the DEBAs among Jamaican adolescents and identify those adolescents most at risk.
Methods: 521 high school participants (females, n = 292), ages 11-19 years, completed measures assessing socio-demographic factors, self-esteem, symptoms of anxiety and depression, behavioural factors, and anthropometry. Weight-related behaviours and attitudes were explored using the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26).
Results: Thirty-one percent of participants reported engaging in at least one disordered eating behaviour, with bingeing as the most common. Female participants had significantly higher mean body mass index (p < 0.01) and mean EAT-26 score (p < 0.05) compared to males. Adolescents with EAT-26 score ≥ 20 were more desirous of being thinner (p < 0.01) and having a lighter skin complexion (p < 0.05). A greater proportion of adolescents with an EAT-26 score ≥ 20 had engaged in self-harm (p < 0.05), had smoked cigarettes (p < 0.05), had been sexually active (p < 0.01), and gave a history of sexual abuse (p < 0.01). Adolescents with overweight/obesity reported higher use of chemical weight manipulation (laxatives, diuretics, and diet pills) (p = 0.01).
Conclusions: Our data are consistent with the global figures showing both male and female adolescents endorsing disordered eating behaviours and attitudes (DEBAs). While this study highlights weight and shape dissatisfaction and associated DEBAs, it also raises the concern of an association with skin bleaching and elevated EAT-26 scores among Jamaican adolescents.
Level of Evidence: Level V: cross-sectional descriptive study.
Databáze: MEDLINE
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