Relationship Between Dysfunctional Eating Attitudes and Parental Marital Status in Female Adolescents

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between dysfunctional eating attitudes and anorexic or bulimic symptoms with regard to the marital status of parents and also to investigate the difference in eating attitudes scores by means of body and weight satisfaction in adolescents. 60 adolescent girls attending high school participated in the study. Half of the involved participants consisted of families whose parents lived together, and the other half had divorced parents. The questionnaire data collection method was used in this study. A moderately severe significantly positive relationship was found between eating attitudes and both anorexic and bulimic symptoms scales in participants whose parents lived separately or got divorced. The group of participants whose parents were divorced and who presented higher scores in anorexic symptoms also scored statistically significantly higher on the parameter of eating attitudes median. The participants who were dissatisfied with their weight scored the highest eating attitudes scales median when compared to the participants who had body dissatisfaction. Selective prevention and treatment methods should be used during adolescence to prevent eating disorders. Special attention should be paid to body image disturbances, inappropriate weight control behaviors, and disturbed self-perceived weight during adolescence in order to prevent eating disorders.

Eating Disorders among Students in Northern Benin (2023)

“…Other authors have established this relationship. Doksat et al in Turkey in 2017 had reported a relationship between adolescent girls at risk of eating disorders and parental marital status [30]. However, in contrast to the results of this work, the parents' divorced status was the one incriminated.…”