Prevalencia de trastornos de conducta alimentaria: anorexia y bulimia nerviosa en estudiantes universitarios

Abstract

The present research aimed to identify the prevalence of eating disorders, specifically anorexia and bulimia nervosa in the students of the University of Cuenca, due to the lack of studies in university students that allow to know these behaviors to prevent them. A quantitative, non experimental, transversal – descriptive approach was used. Data collection was performed using the Food Attitude Test and the Bulimia Investigation Test of Edinburgh (EAT-26 and BITE for its acronym in English). The sample was stratified by faculties and consisted of 782 students, of whom 408 (52,2%) were women and 374 (47,8%) men, with ages ranging from 18 to 24 years of the faculties of Arts, Agricultural Sciences, and Hospitality Sciences. As a result, the prevalence of anorexia nervosa symptoms was 25,6% in the faculty of Arts,17,9% in Hospitality Science and 14,6% in Agricultural Sciences; while the prevalence of symptoms (very disturbed eating pattern) of bulimia nervosa was 6,9% in the Faculty of Arts, 5,3% in Agricultural Sciences and 3,6% in Hospitality Sciences. Women showed higher levels of both anorexia and bulimia nervosa within the three faculties compared to men.