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Online Test of Risk Self-Detection of Eating Disorders
Gilda Gómez-Peresmitré1, Romana Silvia Platas-Acevedo1, Gisela Pineda-García2
1Faculty of Psychology, National Autonomous University of Mexico, Av. Universidad 3004 Col Copilco-Universidad, Alcaldía, Coyoacán, Mexico City 04510, Mexico.
Summary
An online test effectively identifies eating disorder risk in women aged 15-25, showing good psychometric properties and accurately classifying risk levels. Key factors influencing risk include smoking, alcohol use, and early or non-consensual sexual experiences.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Digital Health
Background:
- Eating disorders (EDs) pose significant health risks, necessitating early detection methods.
- Online screening tools offer accessible avenues for identifying individuals at risk for EDs.
- Assessing self-awareness of eating disorder risk is crucial for timely intervention.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the psychometric properties and predictive accuracy of an online test for eating disorder risk.
- To assess the instrument's ability to measure users' risk self-awareness.
- To identify specific risk factors associated with eating disorders in young women.
Main Methods:
- A non-probability sample of 541 women (aged 15-25) completed an online eating disorder risk self-detection test.
- Psychometric properties, predictive validity, and classification accuracy were statistically analyzed.
- Logistic regression identified predictors of eating disorder risk.
Main Results:
- The online test demonstrated good psychometric properties and accurately classified participants into risk and non-risk groups (94-97% accuracy).
- Three predictive risk factors were identified, explaining a substantial portion of the variance (R² = 0.67-0.69).
- Smoking, alcohol consumption, early sexual experiences, and non-consensual sexual experiences were associated with higher eating disorder risk.
Conclusions:
- The online test is a promising tool for detecting eating disorder risk and enhancing self-awareness.
- Online data collection methods are effective and beneficial for research in this area.
- Specific lifestyle and experiential factors significantly correlate with increased eating disorder risk.
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