Analysis of the Risk of Suffering Eating Disorders in young student university of Extremadura (Spain)

Abstract

Los Trastornos de la Alimentación (TA), la Anorexia Nerviosa (AN), Bulimia nerviosa (BN) y trastorno por atracón son trastornos de gran preocupación en el mundo occidental. Sus tendencias crecientes han llevado a los investigadores a tratar de explicar los factores implicados, sus causas y sus efectos, como una forma de contribuir a los esfuerzos para detener las tendencias de crecimiento.Nuestro proyecto de investigación se centra en el estudio del riesgo de padecer TA entre una muestra de 600 estudiantes de la Universidad de Extremadura (España). Dichos estudiantes están matriculados en doce de los grados ofertados por dicha Universidad.Los instrumentos de evaluación utilizados para los fines de esta investigación están el inventario-3 trastorno del RF (RF de EDI-3) y el cuestionario en español, IMAGEN (evaluación de la insatisfacción con la imagen corporal).Los resultados más significativos demuestran la existencia de un alto porcentaje de estudiantes en riesgo de sufrir TA. En las jóvenes alumnas se evidencia mayores tasas de insatisfacción corporal y de delgadez que sus compañeros masculinos que, por el contrario, demuestran más características de bulimia. Además quienes estudian grados de educación presentan tasas más altas de los factores de riesgo para sufrir tales como TC, la unidad de la delgadez y la insatisfacción de su propio cuerpo, en la situación opuesta se encuentran los grados de ciencias de la salud en particular los estudiantes de enfermería, probablemente como consecuencia de un mayor conocimiento biosanitario. 
 Eating disorders (ED), anorexia nervosa (AN), bulimia nervosa (BN), and binge eating disorder are disorders of great concern in western world countries. Their rising tendencies have led researchers to try to explain the factors involved, their causes, and their effects, as a way of contributing to the efforts to stop the growing trends. Our research project focuses on the study of the risk of suffering ED amongst a sample of 600 students from the University of Extremadura (Spain). Said students are enrolled in twelve of the degrees offered by the University. The assessment tools used for the purposes of this research are the Eating Disorder Inventory-3 RF (EDI-3 RF) and the Spanish questionnaire, IMAGEN (Evaluation of Dissatisfaction with Body Image). The most significant results show the existence of a high percentage of students at risk of suffering ED. Young female students evidence higher rates of body dissatisfaction and drive for thinness than their male classmates who, conversely, demonstrate more characteristics of bulimia. Those studying education present higher rates of risk factors for suffering ED, such as the drive for thinness and their own body dissatisfaction, in the opposite situation are the health degrees in particular the nursing students, as a result of a greater bio health knowledge caused.

Psychopathological Risk Factors Associated with Body Image, Body Dissatisfaction and Weight-Loss Dieting in School-Age Adolescents

“…In terms of the specific issues relating to BEDs, there is a behavioural pattern in the practice of weight-loss diets which is nearly twice as frequent in girls. These results coincide with other studies carried out on the same line of research [12,18,57]. For the purposes of designing help programs, it is important to take into account the reasons why there are differentiated behavioural patterns in boys and girls, since girls tend to think their weight is adequate to a lesser extent and the distorted perception of their weight is rarely associated with the need to put on weight, but weight loss; boys, on the other hand, feel the opposite way.…”

The prevalence and risk factors of screen-based disordered eating among university students: a global systematic review, meta-analysis, and meta-regression

“…Sample Size N = 804. ED Measure: SCOFF %Female = 50.4%, Age = 21.2 years, BMI = 22.2 kg/m 2 8 15 Benítez (2019) [ 91 ] Spain Cross-sectional design. Sample Size N = 600.…”

Body image of university students: a systematic review of the characteristics of interventions

“…In addition to the aforementioned issues, the analysis of the studies included in this systematic review also revealed a clear predominance of quantitative methods in research on interventions focusing on the body image of university students. This preference indicates an emphasis on collecting numerical data and statistical analysis to investigate various aspects related to body image (e.g., Alves et al, 2017 ; Benitez et al, 2019 ). The quantitative approach allows for the objective measurement of phenomena and the establishment of relationships between variables, contributing to an understanding of the effects of interventions.…”