Eating Disorders Risk and Intuitive Eating Behavior Among Brazilian Military College Students
Abstract
This study analyzed the attitudes related to eating and determine the prevalence of risk of developing eating disorders (ED) among military students. A secondary objective was to compare prevalence between demographic data and establish the effect of intuitive eating and exercise practice on ED risk. A sample of 256 male military undergraduate and graduate students at the School of Physical Education of the Army answered the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) and Intuitive Eating Scale 2 (IES-2) questionnaires, as well questions regarding age, marital status, the military branch in the Brazilian Army, self-reported body mass and stature, and level of physical activity (Kasari Fit Index). A Kruskal-Wallis test was used to assess factor scores of EAT- 26 and IES-2 total scores among the intensity of self-reported physical activity. A multiple linear regression analysis (forward method) was performed to investigate the extent to which the intuitive eating factors impacted eating disorders risk. Results showed that 4.9% of military students were at risk of developing an ED. Significant difference was found for frequency of exercise practice for EAT total score (U=4375.5, p=0.04, r=0.14) and at UPE (U=3988.5, p=0.005, r=0.19). No significant differences were observed within EAT-26 scores among demographic data. Intuitive eating factors (UPE, BFCC and EPR) showed a significant influence on ED attitudes (F(3, 228)=39.78, p< 0.001; R2adjusted=0.27). In conclusion these findings pointed to a high prevalence of ED risk in military students, and that intuitive eating had a protective impact; however, the practice of exercise does not seem to influence it.
Downloads
References
American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders. DSM- 5º edition. Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Publishing DOI: https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425596
ANTCZAK, A.; BRININGER, T. Diagnosed eating disorders in the US Military: a nine-year review. Eating Disorders, v. 16, p. 363–377, 2008. https://doi.org/doi:10.1080/10640260802370523 . DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10640260802370523
AVALOS, L.; TYLKA, L. Exploring a model of intuitive eating with college women. Journal of Counseling Psychology, v. 53, n. 4, p. 486-497, 2006. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.4.486. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.53.4.486
BABBOTT, K.; CAVADINO, A.; BRENTON-PETERS, J.; CONSEDINE, N.; ROBERTS, M. Outcomes of intuitive eating interventions: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eating Disorders, p. 1-31, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2022.2030124. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2022.2030124
BARTLETT, B.; MITCHELL, K. Eating disorders in military and veteran men and women: a systematic review. International Journal of Eating Disorders, v. 48, p. 1057-1069, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22454. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.22454
BEEKLEY. M.; BYRNE, R.; YAVOREK, T.; KIDD, K.; WOLFF, J.; JOHNSON, M. Incidence, prevalence, and risk of eating disorder behaviors in military academy cadets. Military Medicine, v. 174, n. 6, p. 637-641, 2009. https://doi.org/10.7205/milmed-d-02-1008. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-02-1008
BODELL, L.; FORNEY, K.; KEEL, P.; GUTIERREZ, P.; JOINER, T. Consequences of making weight: A review of eating disorder symptoms and diagnoses in the United States military. Clinical Psychology, v. 21, p. 398-409, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12082. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/cpsp.12082
CALOGERO, R.; TYLKA, T.; BETHHARTM, B.; PEDROTTY-STUMP, K. Attunement with exercise (AWE). In: TYLKA, T.; PIRAN, N. (Eds) Handbook of positive body image and embodiment. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2019, 80-90. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/med-psych/9780190841874.003.0009
CARBONNEAU, N.; CARBONNEAU, E.; CANTIN, M.; GAGNON-GIROUARD, M. Examining women's perceptions of their mother's and romantic partner's interpersonal styles for a better understanding of their eating regulation and intuitive eating. Appetite, v. 92, p. 156-166, 2015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.05.020. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2015.05.020
COLE, R.; CLARK, H.; HEILESON, J.; DeMAY, J.; SMITH, M. Normal weight status in military service members was associated with intuitive eating characteristic. Military Medicine, v. 181, p. 589-595, 2016. https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00250. DOI: https://doi.org/10.7205/MILMED-D-15-00250
COLE, R. et al. The My Body Knows When program increased intuitive eating characteristics in a military population. Military Medicine, v. 184, e200-e206, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy403. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usy403
da SILVA, W.; NEVES, A.; FERREIRA, L.; CAMPOS, J.; SWAMI, V. A psychometric investigation of Brazilian Portuguese versions of the caregiver eating messages scale and intuitive eating scale-2. Eating and Weight Disorders, v. 25, n. 1, p. 221-230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0557-3. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-018-0557-3
FORTES, L.; AMARAL, A.; ALMEIDA, S.; CONTI, M.; FERREIRA, M. Qualidades psicométricas do eating attitudes test (eat-26) para adolescentes brasileiros do sexo masculino. Psicologia: Teoria e Pesquisa, v. 32, p. 1-7, 2016. https://dx.doi.org/10.1590/0102-3772e323220. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1590/0102-3772e323220
GALMICHE, M.; DÉCHELOTTE, P.; LAMBERT, G.; TAVOLACC, M. Prevalence of eating disorders over the 2000–2018 period: a systematic literature review. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, v. 109, n. 5, 1402-1413, 2019. https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy342. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqy342
GARNER, D.; GARFINKEL, P. The Eating Attitudes Test: an index of the symptoms of anorexia nervosa. Psychology Medicine, v. 9, p. 273-279, 1979. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0033291700030762. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291700030762
KASARI, D. Effects of exercise and fitness on serum lipids in college women. 1976, 124 p. Unpublished Master's Dissertation, University of Montana, USA, 1976
LINARDON, J.; TYLKA, T.; FULLER-TYSZKIEWICZ, M. (2021). Intuitive eating and its psychological correlates: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Eating Disorders, v. 54, n. 7, p. p. 1073-1098. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23509. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23509
LINDEMAN, M.; STARK, K. Loss of pleasure, ideological food choice reasons and eating pathology. Appetite, v. 35, p. 263-268, 2000. https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.2000.0357. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1006/appe.2000.0357
McNULTY, A. Prevalence and contributing factors of eating disorder behaviors in active duty service women in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines. Military Medicine, v. 166, p. 53-58, 2001. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/166.1.53
PASOLD, T.; McCRACKEN, A.; WARD-BEGNOCHE, W. (2014). Binge eating in obese adolescents: emotional and behavioral characteristics and impact on health-related quality of life. Clinical Child Psychology and Psychiatry, v. 19, p. 299-312, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104513488605. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/1359104513488605
SCHMIDT, U. et al. (2016). Eating disorders: the big issue. Lancet Psychology, v. 3, 313-315, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00081-X. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(16)00081-X
SEFTON, J.; BURKHARDT, T. Introduction to the tactical athlete special issue. Journal of Athletic Training, 51(11), 845, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-51.12.16. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-51.12.16
TYLKA, T.; van DIEST, A. The Intuitive Eating Scale-2: item refinement and psychometric evaluation with college women and men. Journal of Counseling Psychology, v. 60, p. 137-153, 2013. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030893. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1037/a0030893
van DYKE, N.; DRINKWATER, E. Review article relationships between intuitive eating and health indicators: literature review. Public Health Nutrition, v. 17, n. 8, p. 1757-1766, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980013002139. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980013002139
van STRIEN; T., HERMAN, C.; VERHEIJDEN, M. Dietary restraint and body mass change. A 3-year follow up study in a representative Dutch sample. Appetite, v. 76, v. 44:49, 2014. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.015. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.015
ZEULNER, B.; ZIEMAINZ, H.; BEYER, C.; HAMMON, M.; JANKA, R. Disordered eating and exercise dependence in endurance athletes. Advances in Physical Education, v. 6, p. 76-87, 2016. https://doi.org/10.4236/ape.2016.62009. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4236/ape.2016.62009
Copyright (c) 2024 Claudia de Mello Meirelles, Heitor Milagres, Angela Neves (Autor)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
