Disordered eating and the transition to college: a prospective study

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Public Health
• Sociology

Background:

• Eating disorders and related attitudes are significant public health concerns.
• Young adulthood, particularly the transition to college, is a critical period for mental health.
• Prevalence of disordered eating symptoms and attitudes among women requires further investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To longitudinally examine changes in eating disorder symptoms and attitudes during the transition from high school to college.
• To assess the impact of college transition on body self-perception and eating-related attitudes.
• To determine if disordered eating classifications change after entering college.

Main Methods:

• A longitudinal study involving 342 women surveyed in high school and their first year of college.
• Assessment of body self-perception, eating-related attitudes, and disordered eating classification.
• Utilized criteria from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.) for eating disorder classification.

Main Results:

• Participants perceived themselves as significantly heavier during their first year of college compared to high school.
• No significant differences were found in dieting frequency between high school and college.
• Disordered eating classifications remained consistent from high school to college.

Conclusions:

• Disordered eating symptoms and attitudes appear to be established prior to college entry.
• Poor self-image, dieting behaviors, and eating disorder symptoms are prevalent in young women both before and during college.
• The transition to college does not appear to alter established disordered eating patterns.