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Updated: Jul 19, 2026
04:56
Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
Published on: January 25, 2018
Eating attitudes among adolescents.
Noga Roguin Maor1, Shlomit Sayag, Rachel Dahan
1Department of Family Medicine, Clalit Health Services, Haifa, Israel. nogama@clalit.org.il
The Israel Medical Association Journal : IMAJ
|October 25, 2006
Summary
This study found a high prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes among Israeli high school students, with one in five females and one in twenty males affected. An unemployed father may be a risk factor for disordered eating.
Area of Science:
- Adolescent health
- Psychology
- Public health
Background:
- Eating disorders are a growing concern, with rising prevalence over the past 30 years.
- Israeli youth exhibit high rates of dieting compared to 27 western countries.
- Eating disorders lead to significant social and medical complications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the prevalence of eating disorders among high school students in Misgav, northern Israel.
- To investigate the correlation between parental employment status and eating disorder risk in adolescents.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional study utilizing a structured questionnaire for demographic data collection.
- The Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26) short version was employed to assess attitudes towards food, dieting, and body image.
- Data was collected from 283 high school students who completed the self-report EAT-26.
Main Results:
- A significant prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes was observed, with 20.8% of participants scoring pathologically on the EAT-26.
- Among females, 1 in 5 exhibited abnormal eating attitudes, while 1 in 20 males showed similar patterns.
- No significant difference in EAT-26 scores was found based on maternal employment status. A trend suggested higher scores when fathers were unemployed.
Conclusions:
- The study confirms a high rate of abnormal eating attitudes in the studied adolescent population.
- Unemployment status of the father emerged as a potential risk factor requiring further investigation.
- Future research will focus on developing and evaluating school-based intervention programs.
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