Abstract

RUTSZTEIN, Guillermina; MURAWSKI, Brenda; ELIZATHE, Luciana  and  SCAPPATURA, M. Luz. Eating disorders: Detection in female and male adolescents in Buenos Aires. A two-stage study. Rev. Mex. de trastor. aliment [online]. 2010, vol.1, n.1, pp.48-61. ISSN 2007-1523.

The aim of the study is to compare habits, behaviours and eating attitudes, as well as the degree of satisfaction with body image present in female and male students from high schools in Buenos Aires (Argentina). Also, to identify those adolescents who present eating disorders. A two-stage study was carried out with a sample conformed by 454 female and male students, between 13 and 18 years of age, from four high schools. In the first stage, the subjects voluntarily completed the following instruments: Sociodemographic and specific symptoms of eating disorders questionnaire,  Eating Disorder Inventory-2 (EDI-2) and Contour Drawing Rating Scale (CDRS). In the second stage, a semi-structured interview based on Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) was conducted with each of those students identified like "probable cases", in order to confirm or not the presence of an eating disorder. When compared both groups, there was found a significantly higher proportion of female students that are unsatisfied with their body image, went on a diet the last year, and self-induced vomiting in order to maintain or lose weight. Female students show significantly higher scores in five subscales of EDI-2 ("Drive for thinness", "Bulimia", "Body dissatisfaction", "Ineffectiveness" and "Interoceptive awareness"). However, male students show a significantly higher score in "Perfectionism". Finally, it was determined that a significantly higher proportion of female students present some type of eating disorder: (14.1% vs. 2.9%).

Keywords : Eating disorders; prevalence; Argentina; females/males.

        · abstract in Spanish     · text in Spanish     · Spanish ( pdf )