Abstract
The point prevalence of eating disorders was investigated in schoolgirls from lower socio-economic classes and a method of case detection was tested. A two-stage proce dure (self-report measures and interviews) was followed. All girls meeting at least one of the following three criteria were recruited as possible cases: EAT≥30, BMI<17.5, BMI<19 or >24 and EAT≥20. The Mann-Whitney’s two-tailed test and the chi-square test were used to assess the significance of differences between the possible cases and the others and between the false positives and the cases. A diagnosis of eating disorder was made for 24 subjects (8.1%) 5 (1.7%) with bulimia nervosa and 19 (6.4%) with eating disorders not otherwise specified (EDNOS). Of the 24 girls with eating disorders only 16 had high EAT40 scores (≥30). The other 8 cases were identified by the help of other criteria that proved to be useful Furthermore we found data on five self-report instruments (EAT40, EDI, SCANS, SCL90, SEI) On almost all the scales, the possible cases obtained scores significantly different from the others. On the contrary, we did not find any instrument able to discriminate between false positives and cases.
Similar content being viewed by others
Abbreviations
- EAT:
-
Eating Attitudes Test
- BMI:
-
Body Mass Index
- EDNOS:
-
Eating Disorders Not Otherwise Specified
- EDE:
-
Eating Disorder Examination
- EDI:
-
Eating Disorder Inventory
- SCANS:
-
Setting Conditions for Anorexia Nervosa Scale
- SCL:
-
Derogatis Symptom Check List
- SEI:
-
Self-Esteem Inventory
References
Cuzzolaro M.: Epidemiology of eating disorders. Some remarks on long-term trends in incidence and on prevalence in Western countries. In: Ferrari E., Brambilla F., Solerte S.B. (Eds), Primary and secondary eating disorders: a psychoneuroendocrine and metabolic approach. Oxford, Pergamon Press, 1993, pp. 105–112.
Cuzzolaro M.: Disturbi del comportamento alimentare in adolescenza. In: Pissacroia M. (ed.), Trattato di Psicopatologia dell’ado-lescenza, II volume. Padova, Piccin, 1997.
Cuzzolaro M., Frighi L., Petrilli A.: Eating disorders, an epidemiological survey in Italy. Proceedings of the 1st International Rome-Symposium on Eating Disorders -Anorexia Bulimia Obesity (Roma, 22-23 ottobre 1988). Roma, Press Time, 1990.
Garner D.M., Garfinkel P.E.: The Eating Attitudes Test: an index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychological Medicine, 9, 273–279, 1979.
Cuzzolaro M., Petrilli A.: Validazione della versione italiana dell’EAT-40 di D.M. Garner e P.E. Garfinkel. Psichiatria dell’infanzia e dell’adolescenza, 55, 209–217, 1988.
Fairburn C.G., Beglin S.J. Studies of the epidemiology of bulimia nervosa. Am. J. Psychiatry, 147, 401–408, 1990.
Garner D.M., Olmstead M.P., Polivy J.: Development and validation of a multidimensional eating disorder inventory for anorexia nervosa and bulimia. Int. J. Eating Dis., 1, 15–34, 1983.
Slade P.D., Dewey M.E.: Development and preliminary validation of SCANS: a screening instrument for identifying individuals at risk of developing anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Int. J. Eating Dis., 5, 517–538, 1986.
Slade P.D.: Update on SCANS: a screening instrument for identifying individuals at risk of developing an eating disorder. Int. J. Eating Dis., 9, 583–584, 1990.
Coopersmith S.: SEI. Self-Esteem Inventories. Palo Alto, Consulting Psychologists Press, 1981.
Derogatis LR.: Symptom Checklist Manual. Baltimore, Johns Hopkins University Press, 1977.
Cooper Z., Fairburn C.G.: The Eating Disorder Examination. Int. J. Eating Dis., 6, 1–8, 1987.
Cooper Z., Cooper P.J., Fairburn C.G.: The validity of the Eating Disorder Examination and its subscales. Br. J. Psychiatry, 154, 807–812, 1989.
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition DSM-IV™. Washington, D.C., American Psychiatric Association, 1994.
World Health Organization: The ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders: Diagnostic Criteria for Research. Geneva, World Health Organization, 1993.
Fairburn C.G., Hay P.J., Welch S.L.: Binge Eating and Bulimia Nervosa: distribution and determinants. In: Fairburn, C.G., Wilson G.T. (Eds.), Binge Eating: Nature, Assessment and Treatment. New York, Guilford, 1993, pp.123–143.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vetrone, G., Cuzzolaro, M. & Antonozzi, I. Clinical and subthreshold eating disorders: Case detection in adolescent schoolgirls. Eat Weight Disord 2, 24–33 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339946
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03339946