Prevalence of anorexia nervosa and bulimia in three student populations

International Journal of Eating DisordersPublished 1 January 1984

Harrison G. Pope, James I. Hudson, Deborah Yurgelun‐Todd, Margo Hudson

DOI10.1002/1098-108x(198421)3:3<45::aid-eat2260030304>3.0.co;2-g

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Citations151

SJR quartileQ1

SJR score1.70

SNIP1.46

Abstract

A confidential questionnaire, covering the DSM-III criteria for anorexia nervosa and bulimia, was administered to three samples of students, totalling 1060 individuals, at two colleges and a secondary school. Although none of the male respondents met DSM-III criteria for either disorder, 1.0% to 4.2% of women met DSM-III criteria for a history of anorexia nervosa (with or without a history of bulimia), and an additional 6.5% to 18.6% met DSM-III criteria for a history of bulimia alone. Even when allowance is made for the number of nonrespondents, possible falsepositive questionnaire responses, and the limitations of the DSM-III criteria themselves, the prevalence rates appear substantial. Taking into account the mean ages of various samples, our results agree closely with two previous studies that each examined a single sample of students. These results augment the growing evidence that the eating disorders represent a serious public health problem.

Keywords

PsychologySocial Sciences

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