Children residing in care (hereafter referred to as childcare residents) are a
risk-group for emotional disturbances and behaviour problems. Based on existing
knowledge of risk factors one would also expect this population to be a
high-risk group for eating disorders and related body-image disorders. The
objective of this study was to describe pathological eating behaviour,
dysfunctional body focusing and psychological symptoms in a sample of childcare
residents compared with a non-clinical sample. Sixty-one childcare residents
(aged 14-21 years, mean 16.2) and a non-clinical comparison group (n= 196) completed the Eating Disorders Inventory - Child version (EDI-C). The
childcare residents also completed an extended questionnaire, including
questions regarding the use of anabolic-androgenic steroids. Our main findings
were high scores on EDI-C symptom scales for boys in the childcare resident
group; few differences between girls in the two samples; and a high frequency of
having used anabolic-androgenic steroids among boys in care. Body-image problems
among boys have hitherto been given little attention. The results call for
increased efforts in describing and detecting pathological cognitions, emotions
and behaviour concerning the body in males in general and, more specifically, in
high-risk male groups, such as childcare residents.
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