Eating attitudes in high school students in the Philippines: a preliminary study

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes among high school students from Pasig Catholic College in the Philippines.

Methods: Two survey questionnaires, the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) and Beck's Depression Inventory (BDI), were administered to 932 high school students. The height and weight of the subjects were measured, and their body mass indices (BMI) calculated.

Results: The prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes according to the EAT scores was 14.5 +/- 3.2% among males and 15.0 +/- 3.5% among females, comparable to the 7-22% found in Western countries. There was a weak correlation between the EAT scores and BMI (r=0.180, p=0.01), and between the EAT scores and Beck's Depression Inventory (r=0.187, p=0.01).

Conclusions: The results indicate the presence of abnormal eating attitudes among Filipino high school students from Pasig Catholic College, which suggests that further study of eating disorders and their associated risks is warranted.