The prevalence of eating disorder pathology in a cross-ethnic population of female students in South Africa

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorder pathology in female students representing South Africa's ethnically diverse population. A secondary aim was to explore relationships between eating disorder pathology, Body Mass Index (BMI), and socioeconomic status (SES).Method: In a questionnaire survey of a cross-section of South African college students, the Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI) was administered to a convenience sample of 628 students (52 per cent white, 38.6 per cent black, and 9.4 per cent Asian, persons from Indian descent). EDI subscale scores were calculated and compared by ethnicity. BMI scores were related to EDI subscale scores and to categorizations of respondents' SES status and rural versus urban origins.Results: White women showed the highest EDI body dissatisfaction (p 5 0.01), while blacks the highest drive for thinness and perfectionism (p 5 0.01). Asians scored highest on interpersonal distrust (p 5 0.01). There were marked differences between ethnic groups with regard to BMI, eating pathology and SES. High BMI was associated with urbanization and low SES. Rising SES was associated with lower BMI scores. Blacks had higher BMI scores than whites and Asians.Discussion: The results show signi®cant eating disorder pathology in South African women across ethnic diversity. Our ®ndings challenge the assumption that eating disorder pathology is con®ned to Western societies and raise the possibility that the risk for eating disorders in developing countries may be increasing. Copyright *

Internalization of the Thin Ideal as a Predictor of Body Dissatisfaction and Disordered Eating in African, African-American, and Afro-Caribbean Female College Students

“…The results from our African sample are consistent with earlier research revealing high levels of eating pathology in Black South African women (le Grange, Telch, & Tibbs, 1998;Szabo & Hollands, 1997;Wassenaar, le Grange, Winship, & Lachenicht, 2000). Levels of Bulimia for the African sample in the current study were higher than those reported for a Black African sample in a previous study that also utilized the EDI (Wassenaar et al, 2000).…”

“…Levels of Bulimia for the African sample in the current study were higher than those reported for a Black African sample in a previous study that also utilized the EDI (Wassenaar et al, 2000). The high levels of bulimia reported in these two groups of African women suggest that cultural aspects of having been raised within Africa itself may be associated with eating pathology.…”

Disordered eating attitudes: demographic and clinico-anthropometric correlates among a sample of Nigerian students

“…Likewise studies have largely reported the preponderance of body-image disorders and eating disorders among females 3,32,35,43 , to the extent that majority of studies reviewed were conducted solely among females. 7,16,19,26,30,33,34 The participants who were students of the College of Technology tend to have disordered eating attitudes compared to those sampled from the University. In Nigeria, there appears to be some discrimination against undergraduates and graduates of College of Technology in favour of their University counterparts 48 , which may impact negatively on the self-esteem of students in College of Technology.…”

“…One study conducted in South Africa compared Black and Caucasian samples and reported concerns about body weight and shape among both Black and White populations 18 . Findings from studies such as these have led to an increasing interest in the rates of disordered eating attitudes in the developing world by suggesting an increasing prevalence of disordered eating attitudes and eating disorders [25][26][27] . It has been argued that communities that are considered as "Western" and in which eating disorders are more prevalent tend to influence non-Western societies in various ways including emphasis on thinness 19,28 .…”

Eating disorders are real treatable medical illnesses

“…3,4 However, in the changing socio-historical context of post-apartheid South Africa, several surveys of racially diverse groups of adolescents 5,6 and young adults [7][8][9][10] have suggested that non-Caucasian South Africans may in fact not be "immune" to pathological eating disorders. These surveys of ethnically diverse 15-to 25-year-old high school and college students demonstrate that the scores achieved by black girls and women with regard to pathological eating disorders are at least as high as those of Caucasian girls and women.…”