[High-risk eating behavior in Mexican adolescents. Data on the student population in the Federal District]

Data of the Drug and Alcohol Prevalence in Student Population of Mexico City Survey 1997 were used to achieve knowledge about the presence of risk eating behaviors, characteristic of eating disorders in the student population of Mexico city (N = 10,173). The sample was conformed by boys (47.9%) and girls (52.1%), with a mean age of 14.5 years (SD = 1.8). The identification of the differences between boys and girls, and age groups in two occurrence categories of risk eating behavior (ever and two or more times per week) were among the main objectives. An eleven items scale with three answering options about eating behavior during the last three months was used. The BMI-P distributed normally, with greater percentage of overweight, than underweight in both sexes. A greater percentage of risk eating behaviors were found among girls, excluding hard exercising and binge eating, as well as similar percentages of laxative and enema use in both sexes. The analysis held by age groups for risk eating behaviors showed significant differences in binge eating, self induced vomiting, pills and enemas use among boys, while girls showed differences in almost all of these practices, being the group of 18 and 19 years where the greater percentages were found.