Gender Differences in Exercise Dependence and Eating Disorders in Young Adults: A Path Analysis of a Conceptual Model

Abstract

The purpose of our study was to study the prevalence of exercise dependence (EXD) among college students and to investigate the role of EXD and gender on exercise behavior and eating disorders. Excessive exercise can become an addiction known as exercise dependence. In our population of 517 college students, 3.3% were at risk for EXD and 8% were at risk for an eating disorder. We used Path analysis the simplest case of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) to investigate the role of EXD and exercise behavior on eating disorders. We observed a small direct effect from gender to eating disorders. In females we observed significant direct effect between exercise behavior (r = −0.17, p = 0.009) and EXD (r = 0.34, p < 0.001) on eating pathology. We also observed an indirect effect of exercise behavior on eating pathology (r = 0.16) through EXD (r = 0.48, r2 = 0.23, p < 0.001). In females the total variance of eating pathology explained by the SEM model was 9%. In males we observed a direct effect between EXD (r = 0.23, p < 0.001) on eating pathology. We also observed indirect effect of exercise behavior on eating pathology (r = 0.11) through EXD (r = 0.49, r2 = 0.24, p < 0.001). In males the total variance of eating pathology explained by the SEM model was 5%.

Eating attitudes and behaviours of students enrolled in undergraduate nutrition and dietetics degrees

“…The lack of difference in EAT‐26 scores and disordered eating between ND and OT cohort in our sample is supported by other comparative studies that showed no difference in ED risk between nutrition and other health and non‐health degree students. The overall proportion of symptomatic individuals in this research (approximately 13%) is within the range of previously reported in community sample (5–13%) and in university students enrolled in health (9–20%) and non‐health (8–21%) degrees. The relatively wide ranges in the prevalence of ED make it challenging to suggest whether nutrition‐orientated degrees in particular, or health degrees in general, have an effect on eating attitudes.…”

“…Another concerning find of this study is a high proportion of participants from both cohorts that experienced eating binges and the smaller numbers that reported using laxatives, diet pills, diuretics and vomiting after meals. These disordered eating behaviours have been previously reported in university students enrolled in nutrition and non‐nutrition degrees . For example, one study on body and weight attitudes and behaviours of dietetic students found that out of 74% of participants who attempted to lose weight, up to 15% thought laxatives were and up to 11% found that vomiting after meals was helpful in weight loss .…”

“…Another study in Australian teacher trainees reported that up to 13% were vomiting, and approximately 7% used laxatives and dietetic pills. In another study, 10% of students from mixed degrees across various years of enrolment admitted to bingeing . The use of these harmful weight reduction techniques has been previously attributed to the desire for a particular body ideal and weight loss .…”

“…The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT‐26) was used to identify issues related to eating attitudes and included questions on weight, height, weight history and a perceived ideal weight and six eating behaviour questions. This tool has been previously validated and widely used to investigate disordered eating and ED symptoms . The questionnaire is not a diagnostic tool but is useful in identifying individuals with abnormal eating attitudes and behaviours.…”

Gender Differences in Body Mass Index, Body Weight Perception, weight satisfaction, disordered eating and Weight control strategies among Indian Medical and Nursing Undergraduates

“…(1) Eating disorders also affect physical and nutritional health, psychological functioning and if untreated, they can be fatal. (2) Earlier studies have shown that eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. (3) According to DSM-5, the types of eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder, Pica, Rumination Disorder, Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder (ARFID), Other Specified Feeding or Eating Disorder (OSFED).…”