Sociocultural Correlates of Eating Disorders among Asian Schoolgirls in Bradford

Abstract

A survey of 204 south-Asian and 355 Caucasian schoolgirls was conducted in Bradford using the EAT-26 and the BSQ. At interview, seven Asian girls and two Caucasian girls met DSM-III-R criteria for bulimia nervosa, yielding a prevalence of 3.4% and 0.6% respectively. One Asian girl met DSM-III-R criteria for anorexia nervosa. Factor analyses of the EAT and BSQ supported their cross-cultural conceptual equivalence in this south-Asian population. Among the Asians, high EAT and BSQ scores were associated with a more traditional cultural orientation and not with greater Westernisation. It is probable that these findings reflect the cultural and familial difficulties faced by these Asian girls growing up in Britain.