Study of the prevalence of eating disorders in adolescent of Zaragoza

Abstract

Introduction: in recent decades, anorexia y bulimia nervosa have acquired a prominent positíon in psychopathology. This is largely due to the growing concern of mental health specialísts with the epidemic-like proliferation of these disorders particularly in western society. There is a Estudio de prevalencia de trastornos de la conducta alimentaria en adolescentes de Zaragoza need for methodologically rigorous studies using 149 large representative samples of adolescent Jemales to accurately assess the prevalence of eating disorders. Objective: to know the prevalence of eating disorders in adolescent. Method: cross sectional or prevalence epidemiological study, two stages screening process. Sample: adolescent women and men between 12 and 18 years old, schooled in publics and private lnstitutions of Secondary Education, high schools of Zaragoza. Insrrumems: first phase: sel/ administered questionnaire: the spanish version of the Eating Auirndes Test (EAT-40}, the spanish version of the Eating Disorder lnventory (EDI), and the Assessment of sociocultural influences on the aesthetic body shape model questionnaire (CIMEC-40}. Closed qieestion about 1Y, open question about the most popular magazines more frequentiy read. Anthropometric data: weigth and heigth measurement. Second phase: a subsample included the girls who obtain a score aboved the cut-off (30} in the EA T-40 are selected as "to risk" for evaluation and further diagnostic through a structured clinic interview, Schedules for Clínica/ Assesment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN) (spanish version}, Section 9. Results: we now report pretiminary results. A rotal of 61 public (30} and prívate (31} high schools participated. A total number of 2,193 adolescent female students of 2,598 agreed to participate in the survey (84.4%}. 405 {15.6%} not participated in the study: with incomplete or incorrect surveys, absences or negatives or not 12-18 years old. Using the cutting points in the EAT (30} 358 {16.32%} scored above the cutting point, is population to risk. In 1, 120 (51%} exist sociocultural influences in the body image: score above 23 in the CIMEC- 40. Four magazines: Super pop, Ragazza, Bravo and Vale were mm·e prevalent in the sample. In the second phase after the clinic interview (accomplished only in women) with strict diagnostic criteria DSM-IV present F50.0 Anorexia nervosa a 0.14% (n = 3}, F50.2 Bulimia nervosa a 0.55% (n = 12} and F50.9 Eating Disorder Not Oherwise Specified (EDNOS) a 3.83% (n =a 84}. Participate 1,854 male. They do not participate 263 (12.4%). A 3.3% (n = 61} punctuate equal or greater than 30 in the EAT Discussion and conclussions: is very dijficult to achieve high ejficiency in detecting eating disorders that have a prevalence between 2% and 4% in populations of adolescent and young adult women. The prevalence of eating disorders and selfreported severe eating control problems (identified by EA T) was similar to that found in other studies of community samples and suggests the need far preventive programs encouraging appropiace eating, accepcable weigth range and dieting behaviors.