Awareness, beliefs and behaviours related to anorexia and bulimia amongst adolescents

Abstract

This research study was conducted to find out how aware adolescents are about anorexia and bulimia, and find out what perceptions and behaviours they have in relation to these disorders. The aim of this study is to explore awareness, beliefs and behaviours related to anorexia and bulimia amongst adolescents in Malta. The objectives are to assess knowledge and awareness of adolescents on anorexia and bulimia, to examine adolescents' perceptions on the seriousness of these conditions, to examine adolescents' perceptions on their physical appearance, and finally, to identify weight maintenance behaviours amongst respondents. The design that is utilized for this research study is a descriptive, cross-sectional design, with a self-administered questionnaire as the tool used for data collection. The sample consists of 22 adolescents, of age ranging from 16-18 years, chosen conveniently from a local Youth Centre. The results show that the majority of adolescents claimed that they were overweight, despite their low body mass index (BMI) ratios. Factors considered to place individuals at risk are found to be present among respondents with negative self-perceptions and dieting to lose weight. Also, it is' noted that the majority of adolescents do not have the adequate amount of information about these eating disorders. In fact, only 14% gave the correct answer of the definition of anorexia and 23% gave the correct answer of the definition of bulimia.