Eating disorders among selected female student populations at UCLA

Seven hundred sixteen female UCLA students--drawn from Primary Care Clinic, Women's Health Clinic, sorority, athletic team, dance major, and undergraduate psychology class populations--completed questionnaires regarding eating disorders symptoms and attitudes compatible with the diagnostic criteria published by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, (3rd ed., DSM-III), the Eating Disorders Inventory, and related information. The purpose of the study was to determine the prevalence of eating disorders and eating disorder-related symptoms in particular subgroups for targeting intervention and prevention programs. Although between 7.5% and 46% of subgroup populations reported the presence of individual eating disorder-related symptoms, the prevalence of active eating disorders for the group as a whole at the time of the survey was 2.1%, with the prevalence of disorders at any time during life 4.8%, using DSM-III diagnosis. The Eating Disorders Inventory scores for the group as a whole were comparable with norms reported by other researchers in the literature. Primary Care Clinic attenders and dance majors reported the highest rates of symptoms and disorders, while athletes reported the lowest rates.