Dr. Anna Rangini Chellappa

Eating Attitudes and its Psychological Correlates among Female College Students

The purpose of the present study was to find out the prevalence and psychological correlates of abnormal eating attitudes in female college students in the city of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Two hundred undergraduates with mean age 19.0 years from five premiere colleges affiliated to the University of Madras were administered the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT-26), Rosenberg Self Esteem Scale, State Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory. Abnormal eating attitudes (EAT-26 score ≥ 20) were found in 30% of the total sample. Use of Pearson Correlation and independent t-test revealed that participants who had abnormal eating attitudes had scored higher levels of depression and higher levels of both state as well as trait anxiety than those with normal eating attitudes ( Eat-26 score <20 ). No significant correlation was found between low self esteem and abnormal eating attitudes. Further, abnormal eating was not related to weigh as assessed using the body mass index (BMI). The present findings indicate a substantial prevalence of abnormal eating attitudes among female college students and also abnormal eating attitudes related to psychological characteristics such as anxiety and depression. The above findings highlight the need for the attention of clinicians, community workers and psychologists to curtail the risk of increase in eating disorders among this population.