The predictors of disordered eating attitudes: A comparison study of clinical and healthy population

Eating disorders (EDs) are characterized by insistent disturbance in eating behaviour and serious distress about weight and body shape. Since disordered eating attitudes (DEAs) are significantly associated with EDs, this study aimed to explore predictors of DEAs among clinical and healthy population in Turkey. Furthermore, this study investigated predictors of DEAs in females and males. Sample consisted of 63 patients (only 2 males) with EDs and 119 university students (64 females and 55 males). For testing the predictors of DEAs, Demographic Information Form, Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire (EDEQ), Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-40), Body Image Satisfaction Questionnaire (BISQ), Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were administered to the participants. Descriptive statistics analyses on EDEQ, EAT-40, BISQ, BDI and TAS-20 showed that scores of patients were higher compared to the students except the score of BISQ, and patients' body mass index (BMI) was lower. Moreover, a statistically significant difference between female and male students for BMI was found, but not for the scores of EAT-40, EDEQ, BISQ, BDI, and TAS-20. A further multiple regression analysis showed that BISQ, BMI, and TAS-20 explained significant variance of EDEQ and EAT-40. Different predictors of total and subscales of EDEQ and EAT-40 were found for each sample and gender. BDI only found to predict weight concern score in female university students. It is believed that current findings contributed to understanding of predictors of DEAs and EDs for both clinical and healthy population, and genders. A further contribution of the study was to improve knowledge of appearance of EDs in Turkish society. Within the context of relevant literature, results, strengths, limitations and implications of the study were discussed. Moreover, suggestions for future research were provided.