engleski

Self-concept, social factors and neuroticism as contributors of abnormal eating attitudes and behaviours

The study examines some relevant factors in development of abnormal eating attitudes and behaviors that include some bulimic symptoms and body dissatisfaction in female student population. The hypotheses of this study are derived from the biopsychosocial models of the development of eating disorders. According to these models, high neuroticism and the exposure to stressful life events, overprotective and/or emotionally cold parents, result in negative self-concept, which in turn increases the risk for abnormal eating-related attitudes and behaviors. The study was carried out on the sample of 144 university students (mean age 20, 45) with normal body mass index (BMI=20-25). The results of the path analyses show direct positive effect of anticipatory variables, frequency of stressful life events and neuroticism on higher body dissatisfaction and unusual eating behaviors. Neuroticism increases fear of negative evaluation and physiological complaints that contribute to abnormal eating-related attitudes and behaviors. Low self-esteem independently contributes to the onset of abnormal eating-related attitudes and behaviors. The indirect effects of emotionally cold parenting and higher neuroticism on abnormal eating-related attitudes and behaviors through fear of negative evaluation are significant. Neuroticism and the number of stressful life events increase the frequency of physiological complaints in females, which contribute to the development of disturbed eating attitudes and behaviors. The results suggest that female students with normal body mass index, high in neuroticism and exposed to a number of stressful life events, have probably developed fear of negative evaluation and physiological complaints which increased the risk for developing abnormal eating-related behaviors and attitudes.

Abnormal eating attitudes; bulimic symptoms; body dissatisfaction; stressful life events; female student

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