Beliefs of women concerning the severity and prevalence of bulimia nervosa
Date
2004
Authors
Mond, J.
Hay, Phillipa Jane
Rodgers, Bryan
Owen, C.
Beumont, Pierre
Editors
Advisors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Type:
Journal article
Citation
Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology, 2004; 39 (4):299-304
Statement of Responsibility
J. M. Mond, P. J. Hay, B. Rodgers, C.Owen, P. J. V. Beumont
Conference Name
Abstract
Background Few studies have examined attitudes
towards eating-disordered behaviour among
women in the general population. Methods A vignette
describing a fictional person meeting diagnostic criteria
for bulimia nervosa (BN) was presented to a community
sample of women aged 18–45. Respondents
(n=208) were asked a series of questions concerning
the severity and prevalence of the problem described.
Results Most respondents viewed BN as a distressing
condition whose sufferers are deserving of sympathy.
However, more than one-third of respondents had at
some stage believed that it ‘might not be too bad’ to be
like the person described in the vignette. Most respondents
believed that the prevalence of the problem described
among women in the community was likely to
be between 10 % and 30 % (48.6%) or between 30% and
50% (23.1 %). Individuals with a clinically significant
eating disorder (n=13, 6.3%) were more likely to perceive
the symptoms of BN as being acceptable, and its
prevalence higher, than individuals with no eating disorder
diagnosis. Conclusions Information concerning
the medical and psychological sequelae of BN and other
eating disorders might usefully be incorporated in prevention
programmes.Prospective community-based research
is required to elucidate the nature of the relationship
between perceived acceptability of eating
disorder symptoms and actual eating disorder psychopathology.
Extension of the present research to examine
the views of women in other cultures would also
be of interest.
School/Discipline
School of Medicine : Psychiatry
Dissertation Note
Provenance
Description
The original publication can be found at www.springerlink.com