The prevalence of bulimia nervosa among female students at the Junior College

Abstract

This study measured the prevalence of Bulimia Nervosa among a sample of the female student population attending the Junior College at Msida, Malta during the scholastic year 1996-1997. A sample of three hundred and thirty-two first-year and second-year students aged between fifteen and nineteen years coming from different departments of the College was taken. The main research tool used was a questionnaire based on the Bulimic Investigatory Test, Edinburgh - "B.I.T.E" of Henderson and Freeman (1987). A quantitative approach was mainly adopted for the analysis of the data collected except for the last question of the questionnaire which was of a qualitative type. Comparisons between the bulimic group and the non-bulimic group in the whole sample were made on particular characteristics. The findings showed that the results obtained were similar to those reported in recent literature, i. e. the prevalence rate of Bulimia Nervosa among College students is close to 10% of the whole sample and that bulimics show particular behavioural attitudes. It was also very evident that particular socio-cultural factors as well as physical and psychological factors can be the predisposing, precipitating and maintaining factors of Bulimia Nervosa. The study also suggests the need for further studies in Malta on eating disorders and it recommends the important role of the youth worker in helping young people suffering from an eating disorder such as Bulimia Nervosa as well as in helping in prevention programmes for young people.