Disordered eating attitudes among elementary school population

Disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors among elementary school children were evaluated using the Children’s Eating Attitude Test. Our findings demonstrate that students in early adolescence have disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. We recommend screening for eating disorders in this group in order to provide primary and secondary prevention.     

Seasonality of eating pathology on the eating attitudes test in a nonclinical population

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether there are seasonal fluctuations in eating pathology in a nonclinical population. METHOD: The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) was completed by 322 subjects during winter and again during summer. Summer and winter responses were compared to investigate differences in EAT total and subscale scores and for individual EAT items. Numbers of subjects fluctuating across the seasons by more than 2 SDs of the cohort's scores were identified. RESULTS: The cohort showed no significant seasonal change on EAT-40 totals, EAT-26 totals, or within the EAT subscales. There were significant (p <.025) seasonal fluctuations on four of the EAT-40 questions. For individual respondents, there was no greater likelihood of scoring significantly higher in the winter than in the summer. DISCUSSION: Clinically significant seasonal fluctuations in eating pathology on the EAT did not occur in this nonclinical population. It is debatable whether items within the EAT which show significant seasonal fluctuations should be retained or discarded.     

水族老年人高血压流行病学研究

目的 了解水族老年人高血压患病情况.方法 采用整群随机抽样方法对都匀水族老年人群进行高血压流行病学调查.结果 都匀水族老年人高血压患病、知晓率、治疗率、控制率分别为32.15％、26.67％、12.97％、0.00％.男女高血压患病率分别为42.14％和21.71％,差异有统计学意义(P＜0.01).吸烟、饮酒、摄盐量、文化程度低、BMI均与都匀水族老年人高血压有关.结论 都匀水族老年人高血压患病率较高,改善其生活习惯,加强其高血压健康教育刻不容缓.     

Epidemiology and risk factors of eating disorders: a two-stage epidemiologic study in a Spanish population aged 12-18 years

OBJECTIVE: The authors studied the prevalence rates of eating disorders (ED) and their risk factors in a Spanish population aged 12-18 years. METHOD: A two-stage epidemiologic study was conducted in the province of Valencia. Educational centers, classrooms, and individuals were selected randomly. The initial sample comprised 544 subjects. During Stage 1, subjects were screened with the 40-item Eating Attitude Test and a sociodemographic questionnaire that evaluates risk factors. During Stage 2, a semistandardized clinical interview was conducted with each participant. A random control group was paired by class, age, and sex. Comorbid psychiatric disorders and partial and subclinical forms were detected using criteria in the 4th ed. of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV). RESULTS: Using DSM-IV criteria, the morbidity rate was 2.91%, women comprised 5.17% of the sample, men comprised 0.77% of the sample, and the sex ratio was 6.71. Using DSM-IV criteria, including subclinical forms, the morbidity rate was 5.56%, women comprised 10.3% of the sample, men comprised 1.07% of the sample, and the sex ratio was 9.63. Six risk factors were isolated: psychiatric comorbidity, friend on a diet in the last year, desire to lose weight, desire to be less corpulent, sentimental problems, and diet in the last year. DISCUSSION: This is the first Spanish two-stage epidemiologic study to include a control group and to investigate risk factors.     

Gender,school and academic year differences among Spanish university students at high-risk for developing an eating disorder: An epidemiologic study

Background  

The aim of this study was to assess the magnitude of the university population at high-risk of developing an eating disorder and the prevalence of unhealthy eating attitudes and behaviours amongst groups at risk; gender, school or academic year differences were also explored.     

An epidemiologic study of the carpal tunnel syndrome in an adult female population

The relationships between certain reproductive, demographic, and medical variables and the carpal tunnel syndrome were examined using data from a hospital-based case-control study of women ages 45 to 74 years in the New Haven and Hartford, Connecticut, areas from 1977 to 1979. Characteristics of 40 carpal tunnel syndrome cases and 1,043 controls from hospital surgical services were compared. A history of diabetes was associated with an increased frequency of occurrence of the carpal tunnel syndrome, a finding consistent with clinical observation. Recent weight gain and use of estrogen replacement therapy were identified as possible risk factors; this provides some support for the theory that fluid retention in the soft tissues of the carpal tunnel is etiologically involved, although these results are preliminary and further research must be carried out to refute or support these findings. The negative association of the carpal tunnel syndrome with height and a history of varicose veins and the positive association with age at menopause cannot be explained and need verification.     

成都市学龄儿童零食行为研究

目的了解成都市学龄儿童零食行为现状,为指导儿童合理消费零食提供依据。方法整群抽取成都市城区2所小学四～六年级学生1290名,对近6个月的零食行为进行问卷调查。结果近6个月以来调查对象吃零食频率在3次/d以内者达93.4%;最常吃的零食为水果(54.1%),冰激凌(35.3%),糖果、巧克力(28.2%);选择高糖高脂高盐零食者达93.7%;在非饥饿状态下吃零食的比例为69.0%,因饥饿而吃零食的比例为31.0%;选择零食的依据主要是味道(83.4%)、营养(52.2%)、父母准备(17.7%)和家人常吃(15.0%);吃零食的时间依次为晚餐前(53.3%)、晚餐后(28.7%)和晚上睡觉前(9.2%);零食来源主要是自己购买(54.3%)和父母准备(43.5%)。结论成都市学龄儿童零食行为仍存在一定问题,亟待引导和改善。     

Next-of-kin attitudes regarding participation in an epidemiologic case-control study.

We assessed next-of-kin's attitudes about participating in an epidemiologic case-control study of adult acute nonlymphocytic leukemia. Responses from a mailed questionnaire indicated that 95 per cent were glad they participated. While 74 per cent benefited, 18.5 per cent were bothered in some way. Results concerning the need to obtain physician permission before contacting next-of-kin were inconclusive; however, 8 of 10 females contacted by the case's physician considered consent necessary.     

Depression and maladaptive eating practices in college students.

University students (n = 234) enrolled in sections of a required undergraduate course were administered the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) Scale and the Maladaptive Eating Behavior (MEB) Scale to determine if selected maladaptive eating practices correlated with depressive symptoms. Stepwise multiple regression on data from female subjects (n = 138) revealed that four eating practices related to depression, and produced a multiple R = .68, accounting for 46.2% of the variance. Maladaptive eating practices were not predictive of depression among males (n = 96) with "feeling uncomfortable eating in the presence of others" the only significantly correlated variable. This study confirms previous research that has found an association between maladaptive eating practices and depressed mood in nonclinical samples of university students.     

Influence of sexual orientation and age on disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in women

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the influence of age on the association between sexual orientation and disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in women. METHOD: Heterosexual (n=47) and homosexual (n=45) women recruited from the community completed self-report questionnaires including the Body Esteem Scale, the Eating Disorders Inventory-2, the Reasons for Exercise Inventory, and the Self Esteem Scale. RESULTS: A multivariate analysis of variance of eating disorder variables revealed a main effect for sexual orientation on drive for thinness and exercise to control weight and a main effect for age on body mass index (BMI) and body dissatisfaction, but it did not reveal a significant interaction between sexual orientation and age. DISCUSSION: Sexual orientation may influence certain types of disordered eating attitudes and behaviors in women such as endorsing an extreme ideal of thinness. However, homosexual and heterosexual women reported more similarities than differences.     

Subliminal activation of abandonment- and eating-related schemata: relationship with eating disordered attitudes in a nonclinical population

OBJECTIVE: Previous research has demonstrated that subliminal abandonment cues can facilitate eating behavior. It is believed that such eating is a response to the activation of specific core schemata. However, the precise nature of those schemata has not been established. This study examined whether the presentation of subliminal abandonment and food/shape cues results in the activation of abandonment-related or food-related schemata. METHOD: Eighty-two women were exposed to one of three subliminal cues- an abandonment cue ("lonely"), an appetitive cue ("hungry"), and a neutral cue ("gallery"). They subsequently completed Stroop tasks to measure activation of relevant schemata. RESULTS: Subliminal presentation of abandonment cues led to the activation of food- and shape-related schemata. In contrast, subliminal appetitive cues resulted in an activation of abandonment-related schemata. CONCLUSIONS: The results show preliminary support for a multilevel cognitive model, involving indirect links between subliminal cue type and the activation of eating-related cognitions.     

Personality correlates of eating attitudes in a nonclinical sample

Few studies have investigated the relationship between eating history, attitudes and/or behaviors, and personality in nonclinical populations. This is a report of a serendipitous finding with 122 female undergraduates and a partial replication of that study with 40 older college females. Multiple regression analyses were carried out with the Restraint Scale, Eating Attitudes Test, and self-report of weight history used as predictors of personality. The Jackson Personality Research Form scales were found to have significant relationships, modest in size but large in number of scales affected, with eating history and/or lifestyle. This suggests an overlooked connection between eating behaviors and personality in normal as well as clinically impaired females.     

An association between eating disorder behaviors and autonomic dysfunction in a nonclinical population. A pilot study

This pilot study examines the relationship between eating disorder behaviors and autonomic dysfunction in a nonclinical sample (n = 27). Baseline indices of eating disorder behaviors were evaluated via the Eating Disorder Examination-Questionnaire. Supine resting heart rate variability was assessed via electrocardiogram for a 5-min recording period. A spectral analysis was performed. High frequency power density (s²/Hz) increased as a function of heightened disordered eating behaviors. Autonomic dysfunction, as indicated by increased high frequency power density due to hypervagal activity, is associated with eating disorder behaviors. Results suggest autonomic dysfunction may exist in nonclinical eating disorder populations. Future research needs to further examine this possibility.     

An epidemiologic study of breast cancer

A case-control study has been conducted in four areas of Canada in which 400 cases of breast cancer matched by age and marital status with neighborhood controls were administered medical and dietary questionnaires. The study is suggestive of an increased risk of breast cancer in post-menopausal women with younger age at menarche and an increased risk with delay of age at natural menopause. No protective effect of early age at first pregnancy was demonstrated in either pre- or post-menopausal women. An increased frequency of pregnancies of four months duration or less was found in cases compared to controls and a greater frequency in pre-menopausal cases compared to controls of a history of irregular menstrual periods. In pre-menopausal women no association has been found between increased height and weight as risk factors for breast cancer. For post-menopausal women, however, a weak association with increased height has been found, while a strong association with increased weight both at the time of menopause and the 12 months preceding diagnosis has ben confirmed.     

Fear of negative evaluation and eating attitudes: a replication and extension study

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary research has found a link between restrictive eating attitudes and a fear of negative evaluation (FNE). However, such work has focused exclusively on these fears in relation to people in general. The current study sought to replicate and extend these findings by exploring links between restriction and FNE in relation to close friends and relatives. METHOD: Ninety-one young women completed two versions of the short Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (FNE). First, they completed the standard scale (in relation to people in general), and then an amended version (in relation to close friends and relatives). Next, they completed the three eating-related subscales of the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI). RESULTS: For the whole group, both general and close FNE were significantly and positively correlated with restrictive (drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction), but not with bulimic attitudes. However, only general FNE had significant individual predictive power on restrictive attitudes when these two forms of FNE were entered into a regression analysis. DISCUSSION: Among nonclinical populations, negative evaluation fears regarding people in general are linked with restrictive but not with bulimic psychopathology.