A description of disordered eating behaviors in Latino males

To explore disordered eating and eating disorders (EDs) in Latino males.

Participants are 722 male college students from a larger prevalence study conducted in the University of Puerto Rico system.

Participants were selected from a list of sections of required courses for first-year students on each campus. Self-report instruments were used to explore ED symptoms (the Eating Attitudes Test [EAT-26] and the Bulimia Test-Revised [BULIT-26-R] and the Beck Depression Inventory depression (BDI).

Overall, 2.26% scored above the cut-off point on the BULIT-R and 5.08% score above the cut-off point on the EAT-26. Of the males, 4.43% reported sufficient frequency and severity to approximate DSM-IV criteria for bulimia nervosa. Depression symptomatology was found in those who scored above the cut-off point on both instruments of EDs.

College health practitioners should be aware of disordered eating in Latino males and include them in efforts to detect disordered eating behaviors in college students.