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Evaluation of disordered eating tendencies in young adults

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Abstract

Purpose

It was aimed to determine the prevalence of high disordered eating tendencies and its relationship with food addiction, emotional eating and self esteem in participants at 18 and 33 years age group.

Methods

This study was planned as a cross-sectional study and conducted with 1359 young adult volunteers (M = 386, F = 973) with an average age of 22.4 ± 2.84 years. Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26), Yale Food Addiction Scale (YFAS), Emotional Appetite Questionnaire (EMAQ) and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES) were used. EAT-26 score above 20 was considered as eating disorders risk cutoff.

Results

Participants with disordered eating tendencies have higher rates (22.4%) of food addiction compared to participants without high disordered eating tendencies (7.2%). There is no difference for EMAQ and YFAS scores; however, there is a significant difference for RSES and EAT-26 scores according to gender. A positive association of EAT-26 with YFAS and EMAQ-negative scores and a negative association of EAT-26 with RSES and EMAQ-positive were found.

Discussion

There is association among EAT-26, YFAS, and Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Emotional Appetite Questionnaire scores. This study provides information for future studies about high disordered eating tendencies, food addiction and mood that are thought to be important in young adults.

Level of evidence

Level V (cross-sectional descriptive study).

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank all individuals who devoted their time to participate in this study. They are warmly acknowledged for their help and whole hearted cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Besevler, Ankara, Turkey

    Semra Navruz Varli, M. Sedanur Macit, Hande Mortas & Tugba Tatar

  2. Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Health Science Faculty, Biruni University, Topkapı, Istanbul, Turkey

    Nevin Sanlier

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  1. Nevin Sanlier
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Correspondence to Nevin Sanlier.

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Conflict of interest

Nevin Sanlier declares that she has no conflict of interest. Semra Navruz Varli declares that she has no conflict of interest. M. Sedanur Macit declares that she has no conflict of interest. Hande Mortas declares that she has no conflict of interest. Tugba Tatar declares that she has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study protocol was approved by the Ethical Committee of the Gazi University of Ankara/Turkey (27/01/2016, Decision no: 11663).

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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This article is part of the topical collection on Food addiction.

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Sanlier, N., Navruz Varli, S., Macit, M.S. et al. Evaluation of disordered eating tendencies in young adults. Eat Weight Disord 22, 623–631 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-017-0430-9

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