Survey on eating disorders related thoughts, behaviors and dietary intake in female junior high school students in Taiwan.

OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to investigate body weight satisfaction, eating attitudes and dietary intake related to eating disorders of female junior high school students in Taiwan. METHODS In a cross-sectional survey, 835 female junior high school students participated in this study. The questionnaire items included respondents' demographic information as well as weight and body image concerns. Developmental and attitudinal scales such as the body shape-related teasing scale, Pubertal Development Scale, Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and 24-hour dietary recall were also used to collect data. Data were analyzed using a Student's t test, chi-square test and logistic regression. RESULTS Disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors were found in 10.4 % of participants (measured by EAT-26?20). The multivariate logistic regressions showed that disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors were associated with weight/shape-related teasing experiences and dissatisfaction with body weight. The reported intakes of energy, protein, fat, carbohydrate, cholesterol, zinc and vitamins B-6, B-12, were significantly lower in participants with disturbed eating patterns than in participants without disturbed eating. Conversely, participants with disturbed eating patterns had higher dietary and crude fiber intake than participates without disturbed eating. CONCLUSION Disturbed eating behaviors exist among female adolescents in Taiwan, and these behaviors jeopardize their necessary dietary intake requirements. More research using the EAT-26 as a measure to predict the quality and quantity of food intake among female adolescents warrants further study.