Abstract

RUTSZTEIN, Guillermina; SCAPPATURA, María Luz  and  MURAWSKI, Brenda. Perfectionism and low self- esteem across the continuum of eating disorders in adolescent girls from Buenos Aires. Rev. Mex. de trastor. aliment [online]. 2014, vol.5, n.1, pp.39-49. ISSN 2007-1523.

The aim of this study was to analyze and compare habits, behaviours and eating attitudes, perfectionism and self-esteem in adolescent girls with eating disorder (ED) adolescents at risk of eating disorder (EDR), and adolescents without eating disorder neither risk (NED) . The sample included 200 women between 13 and 19 years of age: 167 students of high schools from Buenos Aires and 33 ED patients recruited from clinics specializing in treatment of ED. There were formed three groups according to the presence of ED or ED risk (which was evaluated through a semistructured interview based on the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE): adolescents with ED (n= 46), adolescents at risk for ED (n= 17) and adolescents without ED neither risk (n= 137). Participants completed: Sociodemographic and specific symptoms of eating disorders questionnaire, Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI 3), Rosenberg's Self-Esteem Scale, and Almost Perfect Scale-Revised (APS-R). Overall, the results support the continuum theory of ED. EDR group had intermediate scores on perfectionism and low self-esteem. Furthermore, the results support the dysfunctional nature of one of the components of perfectionism (Discrepancy). The presence of psychological characteristics associated with the development of ED in nonclinical adolescent population (EDR), reinforces the importance of making efforts to the prevention of ED in school context.

Keywords : eating disorders; perfectionism; self-esteem; risk of eating disorder.