Eating Disorder symptomatology: prevalence among Latino college freshmen students

Abstract

This study investigated the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms in first-year students at the University of Puerto Rico. Responses to the Bulimia Test Revised (BULIT-R), the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) were analyzed in a sample of 2,163 freshman students. The percentage of students at or above the clinical cut-off points was 3.24% for the BULIT-R and 9.59% for the EAT-26, and 1.88% met the cut-off point for both instruments. The 36.44% of the students who screen positive on eating disorders measures scored 18 or more on the BDI and 5.93% on this group presented high suicidal risk based on their responses to BDI items assessing suicidal thoughts. Eating disorder symptoms occur frequently in Puerto Rican college students, and prevention, detection, and treatment efforts are needed.