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Eating problems in Irish children and adolescence – EPICA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Fiona McNicolas ,
Barbara Dooley ,
Leonie Keogh ,
Alma Lydon ,
Ruth Lennon ,
Sinead Ahern ,
Ciaran Coyle ,
Aoife Whelan  and
Linda O Donoghue
Fiona McNicolas*
Affiliation:
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children Crumlin, St John of God's Lucena Clinic, Rathgar andUniversity College Dublin
Barbara Dooley
Affiliation:
UCD School of Psychology, Newman Building, UCD, Dublin 4
Leonie Keogh
Affiliation:
St. John of God Hospital, Stillorgan, Co. Dublin
Alma Lydon
Affiliation:
Research Associate with the Department of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Box P046, 16 De Crespigny Park Road, Denmark Hill, London SE5 8AF
Ruth Lennon
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
Sinead Ahern
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
Ciaran Coyle
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
Aoife Whelan
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
Linda O Donoghue
Affiliation:
Lucena Clinic Rathgar, Dublin, Ireland
*
*Correspondence E-mail: fiona.mcnicholas@sjog.ie
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Abstract

Objectives: To examine eating concerns in a cohort of Irish adolescents.

Methods: Students from a stratified random sample of post primary schools were screened using the EAT-26, the EDI-III and a study specific questionnaire.

Results: A total of 3,031 students (mean age 14.74, range 12–19) enrolled in the study. The majority of respondents felt popular (91%), happy (75.2%) and perceived themselves to have a good quality of life (86.8%). Despite this, 32% of females dieted, 29.4% were dissatisfied with their bodies, and 10.8% scored above 20 on the EAT-26. Adolescents always on a diet reported a lower quality of life (QoL) X2(16, N=2,961) =144.43, p <.000, perceived themselves to be less popular X2(15, N=2,963) =53.26, p <.000 and less academically able X2(16, N=2,297) =43.96, p<.000, than those who never dieted. Comparing EPICA values to published norms, Irish males had significantly lower EAT scores, females had comparable total EAT-26 scores but significantly lower levels of dieting and higher levels of bulimic features and oral control. Girls in mixed schools had higher rates of body dissatisfaction F (1,2855) = 16.61, p <.001 and drive for thinness F (1,2860) = 11.78, p <.005 than girls attending same sex schools.

Conclusions: Weight and body image concerns were high among Irish adolescents, especially females, with higher than expected levels of bulimia and oral control scores on the EAT but lower scores on the dieting subscale. Females attending mixed sex schools appear most at risk of eating pathology.

Keywords

Eating disordersAnorexia nervosaBulimia nervosaAdolescenceIrish students
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 27 , Issue 4 , December 2010 , pp. 172 - 178
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2010

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