Risk of eating disorders in a group of high school students of a school in Bogotá D.C., Colombia. 2016

Abstract

Introduction: According to estimations, eating disorders affect 1-4% of the general population. In Colombia, few studies address this issue; however it has been found that the percentage of women with anorexia in Bogotá D.C. is similar to figures worldwide. Objective: To identify the risk of developing eating disorders (ED) in sixth through eighth grade students from a private school of Bogotá D.C. Materials and methods: Cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in sixth through eighth grade students from a school of Bogotá D.C., who were applied the EAT-26 Test. Those with scores greater than 20 were classified as having symptoms of risk of ED, and parents were summoned to receive prevention education on this matter. Results: 979 students were surveyed: 523 were boys and 456, girls, a 9.4% prevalence of ED risk was found. Male students of the lower grades had a higher risk of suffering from eating disorders; predominance was observed in the female sex as the grade level increased. Conclusion: Men are more likely to develop risk symptoms for eating disorders, especially at early ages. Designing strategies to prevent the onset of this disorder in the school population is recommended.