Abstract
Background: Bermuda is a unique heterogeneous ethnic population in which it is possible to study the interaction of ethnicity, culture, gender and economic factors that influence abnormal eating attitudes.
Method: A cross-sectional survey of 836 adolescents, one total school year in Bermuda. The BITE and EAT self-report questionnaires were administered in a classroom setting. The analysis was for caseness and for total scores. Caseness represents possible developing anorexic or bulimic eating disorder pathology for this non-adult population.
Results: 7.3% fulfilled EAT caseness, 0.24% fulfilled BITE caseness. There was no gender or ethnic difference for caseness. Multivariate analysis for EAT caseness found Odds Ratios of 2.89 (95% CI 1.37, 6.11) for Manual maternal job status.
Conclusion: Despite the limitation of a questionnaire analysis, lower socioeconomic status increases the risk of possible eating disorder pathology in this adolescent population. Developing anorexic eating attitudes were more prevalent compared to bulimic attitudes for schoolchildren in this unique cultural setting.
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