Prevalence and correlates of eating disorders in Latinos in the United States

Abstract

Objective: To present national estimates and correlates of lifetime and 12-month DSM-IV eating disorders for Latinos.Method: Data come from the National Latino and Asian American Study (NLAAS), a national epidemiological household survey of Latinos in the United States.Results: Latinos have elevated rates of any binge eating and binge eating disorder but low prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. The US born and those living a greater percentage of their lifetime in the US evidenced higher risk for certain eating disorders while severe obesity and low levels of education were significant correlates. Rates of treatment utilization were exceedingly low. Conclusion:Standard eating disorder criteria may not be appropriate for understanding psychological morbidity of eating disorders for Latinos, particularly less acculturated Latinos, due to cultural differences in the presentation of eating disorder symptoms. Criteria for disturbed eating patterns that are more reflective of the illness experience of Latinos should be developed. V V C 2007 by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Race, ethnicity, and eating disorders: Considerations for DSM-V

“…In their discussion, Alegria et al 3 offered several thoughtful recommendations as to how the diagnostic criteria might be altered, including examining the concepts of time and simultaneity. Time-related concepts include duration (e.g., binge eating in BED needing to occur over a 6-month period), frequency (e.g., the requirement that binges occur twice a week), and length (e.g., duration of binge to be within a 2-hour period).…”

“…Simultaneity, defined as symptoms occurring together (e.g., binge eating/ vomiting, or low weight/fear of fat), may also be less likely to be seen in diverse groups and this should be considered in the next iteration of the DSM. Alegria et al 3 also pointed out that excluding certain criteria for the less acculturated and supplementing current AN and BN diagnostic questions with queries about unhealthy weight control and overeating behaviors may be useful when diagnosing eating disorders in diverse groups. Studies are needed to determine the effects that changing diagnostic criteria may have on prevalence rates and treatment response.…”

Westernization: The Role of Mass Media on Body Image and Eating Disorders

“…Clinical criteria developed for Caucasian populations do not effectively map illnesses for non-Western samples, thus, information is still uncertain and scarce. Several studies, however, confirmed as a result of ethnicity and cultural conflict was significantly related to body dissatisfaction and maladaptive eating attitudes (Alegria et al, 2007;Cummins & Lehman, 2007;Hesse-Biber et al, 2004). The study by Akan and Grilo (1995) reported that Caucasians had greater levels of disordered eating and dieting behaviours and attitudes and greater body dissatisfaction than Asian-Americans and African-Americans who differed little on these measures.…”

Behavioral symptoms of eating disorders in Native Americans: Results from the add health survey wave III

“…1 As noted in a recent review, 2 whereas progress has been made in determining how common eating disorder syndromes or core symptoms are among the majority (white Americans) and several racial or ethnic minority populations in the United States (US), [3][4][5][6][7] a gap in knowledge continues regarding eating disorders among the US Indigenous peoples (American Indian/Native American, Native Hawaiian, or Alaskan Natives, here abbreviated as AI/NA). Prevalence data for eating disorders in AI/NA populations are warranted both to complement epidemiological data concerning other major mental disorders in these populations and also to inform resource allocation for mental health interventions to reduce the substantial burden associated with eating disorders.…”