ERIC Number: EJ897491
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2010
Pages: 7
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1499-4046
EISSN: N/A
Available Date: N/A
Factors Associated with Abnormal Eating Attitudes among Greek Adolescents
Bilali, Aggeliki; Galanis, Petros; Velonakis, Emmanuel; Katostaras, Theofanis
Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, v42 n5 p292-298 Sep-Oct 2010
Objective: To estimate the prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes among Greek adolescents and identify possible risk factors associated with these attitudes. Design: Cross-sectional, school-based study. Setting: Six randomly selected schools in Patras, southern Greece. Participants: The study population consisted of 540 Greek students aged 13-18 years, and the response rate was 97%. Main Outcome Measure: The dependent variable was scores on the Eating Attitudes Test-26, with scores greater than or equal to 20 indicating abnormal eating attitudes. Analysis: Bivariate analysis included independent Student "t" test, chi-square test, and Fisher's exact test. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was applied for the identification of the predictive factors, which were associated independently with abnormal eating attitudes. A 2-sided "P" value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes was 16.7%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis demonstrated that females, urban residents, and those with a body mass index outside normal range, a perception of being overweight, body dissatisfaction, and a family member on a diet were independently related to abnormal eating attitudes. Conclusions and Implications: The results indicate that a proportion of Greek adolescents report abnormal eating attitudes and suggest that multiple factors contribute to the development of these attitudes. These findings are useful for further research into this topic and would be valuable in designing preventive interventions. (Contains 3 tables.)
Descriptors: Body Composition, Incidence, Eating Disorders, At Risk Persons, Health Behavior, Student Attitudes, Attitude Measures, Gender Differences, Place of Residence, Adolescents, Foreign Countries, Geometric Concepts, Urban Areas, Obesity, Self Concept, Family Influence
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Secondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Greece
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A
Author Affiliations: N/A