Screening for anorexia and bulimia nervosa in a college population: problems and limitations

In relation to prevalence studies, bulimia and anorexia nervosa symptoms have been reported to be surprisingly high, although such studies have relied upon questionnaire data. The present study examines the reliability and validity of an eating disorder questionnaire (Eating Attitudes Test) in discriminating anorexics and bulimics from a general female college population. Of an initial test sample of 162 subjects, 56 were subsequently interviewed and retested. The results indicated that the questionnaire gave a high false positive rate for both eating disorders. Discussion focuses on limitations of questionnaire data in determining bulimia prevalence rates.