Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
ANADOLU PSIKIYATRI DERGISI-ANATOLIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY, cilt.11, sa.2, ss.112-119, 2010 (SCI-Expanded)
Objective: The aim is to determine the prevalence of eating disorders and its relationship with depression among a group of university students. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional research conducted out among the students who were studying in the Dumlupinar University the Kutahya College of School between 10 December 2008 and 10 January 2009. Of 946 students studying in the school 816 (86.3%) constituted the study group. The students themselves filled in the questionnaire including information concerning sociodemographic characteristics and potential risk factors for eating disorders under observation. As screening test for eating disorders, Eating Attitudes Test-40 (EAT-40) was used and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) for depression screening test. The data was evaluated by khi-square test, Student t test and Logistic regression analysis. For statistical significance p<0.05 level was accepted. Results: The study group consisted of the 229 (28.1%) female, and 587 (71.9%) male students, with the average age of 20.7 +/- 1.8 (range: 17-30 years). The prevalence of eating disorders was 5.0% (n=41), with the prevalence of depression of 18.9% (n=154). The prevalence of eating disorders for female students was significantly higher than in male students (p<0.05). Being woman (OR:4.011), presence of depression (OR: 2.488) and worse family income (OR:3.653) were important risk factors for eating disorders (p<0.05 for each one). It revealed a positive relationship between the scores of BDI and EAT-40 (p<0.05). Conclusions: Eating disorders and depression among college students is a common health problem. Psychological counseling services for students should be activated, periodic screening for early detection should be done, and the patients should be directed to specialized psychiatry centers. (Anatolian Journal of Psychiatry 2010; 11:112-119)