Prevalence of abnormal eating behaviors in adolescents in Mexico: Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006

Abstract

Objective. To describe the prevalence of abnormal eating behaviors in a population-based nationwide survey. Material and Methods. A stratified, probabilistic, multistage design sampling process was used. The Brief Questionnaire for Risky Eating Behaviors was included in the Mexican Health and Nutrition Survey 2006 (ENSANUT 2006) and administered to participants 10-19 years old (n= 25 166). The study had the power to describe nationwide characteristics by age, regions and urban/rural settings. Results. A high risk for having an eating disorder was found in 0.8% of the total participants (0.4% male adolescents and 1.0% female). Inhabitants in large cities showed higher risk for having an abnormal eating behavior compared to subjects living in other settings. The highest prevalences were found in males > 15 years old and females > 13 years old for all evaluated behaviors. Conclusions. Results show less prevalence of risky eating behaviors among adolescents in comparison to other populations. The female/male ratio was 3:1, far different from the 9:1 shown in a previous study in Mexico City, but similar to results from the US national eating disorders screening.

O que é comportamento de risco para transtornos alimentares em adolescentes?

“…Esses são avaliados considerando-se basicamente a presença dos sintomas clássicos dos quadros: restrição alimentar (hábito de fazer dietas restritivas ou jejum), compulsão alimentar e práticas purgativas (uso de laxantes, diuréticos e vômitos autoinduzidos) [7][8][9][10] . Diferentes nomenclaturas podem ser adotadas para avaliar esses mesmos aspectos, por exemplo, comportamento alimentar anormal 11 , suspeita de transtornos alimentares 12 , risco de transtornos alimentares 13 , comportamentos de risco para transtornos alimentares 7 , sintomas de transtornos alimentares 14 , atitudes alimentares anormais 15 , padrões alimentares anormais 16 . Outra terminologia utilizada é o "comer transtornado", definido pela Associação de Psiquiatria Americana e pela Associação Dietética Americana como todo espectro dos problemas alimentares, da "simples dieta" aos TA clássicos 1,4 .…”

Association of Socioeconomic Status, Problem Behaviors, and Disordered Eating in Mexican Adolescents: Results of the Mexican National Health and Nutrition Survey 2006

“…The lifetime prevalences found were .5% for AN and 1% for BN [5]. The surveys of Drug and Alcohol Use Prevalence in Mexico City students, which collect information from high schools (grades [7][8][9][10][11][12], are another source of population data. Since 1997, those periodic surveys have been collecting information on the prevalence of DEB by means of a standardized instrument [6].…”

“…It was found that DEB are more frequent among girls, increase with age, and are less frequent in the southern region of the country. However, that study did not specifically address the relationship between DEB and socioeconomic status (SES) [9].…”

Overview of the nutritional status of the Mexican population in the last two decades

“…55 Also, among adolescents the emergence of abnormal eating behaviors, including binge and restrictive eating and purging, was documented. 56 It should also be noted that recently the issue of beverage consumption among the Mexican population has received increased attention. In 2008 as part of a study led by a group of nutrition experts to evaluate beverage consumption patterns concluded that caloric beverages provide more than 20% of the total energy intake of Mexican adolescents and adults.…”