Abnormal eating attitudes and weight loss behaviours of girls attending a traditional Jewish high school in Johannesburg : an examination of teachers' awareness

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: Eating disorders are an important cause of morbidity and mortality in adolescentand young adult women. There is some evidence that Eating disorders may be more common inJewish females than in their non-Jewish counterparts. Individuals with abnormal attitudes asdefined by the Eating Attitudes Test (26-Item version) (EAT-26) are at increased risk ofdeveloping an eating disorder. School teachers are required to take an active role in the currentlyfavoured ecological approach to the prevention of eating disorders.Objectives: The current study sought to determine the prevalence of abnormal eating attitudesand weight loss behaviours in a Jewish female adolescent sample and to investigate schoolteachers' awareness of these factors and their attitudes towards a school programme to addressthese.Methods: A cross-sectional study of girls in grades 8 to 11 and teachers of both genders wasundertaken at a 'traditional Jewish high school in Johannesburg, South Africa. A questionnaireconsisting of the EAT-26 and a modified section of the United States Youth Risk BehaviourSurvey (YRBS) was completed by pupils. A questionnaire developed by the researcher for thestudy was completed by teachers.Results: Two hundred and twenty pupils (response rate 84.3%) and 38 teachers (52.1%)participated. Twenty percent of pupils (n=43) had EAT-26 scores greater than or equal to 20and 30.2% were found to require clinical evaluation for a potential eating disorder Thirty twopoint seven percent (n=72) of girls considered themselves to be overweight. Sixty four percent(n=139) were trying to lose weight at the time of the study and 19.1% (n=42) had engaged in oneor more extreme methods of weight loss (fasting, purging or non-prescribed medication) in thepast 12 months. Most teachers (81.6%, n=29) underestimated the proportion of girls requiringclinical evaluation and 71.1% (n=27) underestimated the extent of current weight loss attempts.Almost all (97.3%, n=37) the teachers recognised the need to address disordered eating attitudesand patterns in the school but only 34.2% (n=13) viewed the school as the appropriate place,would be prepared to participate and would give up class time. Conclusions: This is the first study to document the presence of abnormal eating attitudesamong Jewish adolescent females in South Africa. The prevalence fell within the upper end ofthe range of rates reported in studies of adolescent girls in South Africa and abroad. Dieting andattempts at weight loss are common in this population and are also in keeping with the findingsfrom international studies. This is the first study to measure teachers' awareness of the eatingattitudes and weight loss behaviours of girls attending the school at which they teach. Theteachers participating in this study were not fully aware of the extent to which eating-relatedissues affect female pupils. Over and above this, there appears to be a resistance to facilitatingand participating in a school programme addressing these issues. A qualitative exploration of thiscould yield valuable insights.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University