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Self-esteem, eating problems and psychological well-being in a cohort of schoolgirls aged 15-16: a questionnaire and interview study

Self-esteem, eating problems and psychological well-being in a cohort of schoolgirls aged 15-16: a questionnaire and interview study
Self-esteem, eating problems and psychological well-being in a cohort of schoolgirls aged 15-16: a questionnaire and interview study
Objective: this study aimed to investigate the extent of eating problems and their association with self-esteem in girls aged 15-16. Method: Six hundred and nine schoolgirls aged 15-16 completed a questionnaire examining eating behavior, self-esteem, and general psychological well-being. A subsample of 31 girls was subsequently interviewed in terms of eating behavior and self-esteem. Results: The questionnaire findings revealed that 56% of girls felt too fat and had used some form of weight control strategy. In addition, 32% scored above the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) threshold for anxiety and 43% reached the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale criterion for low self-esteem. Interviews confirmed that those showing abnormal eating behavior in the questionnaires did indeed show greater eating pathology as well as lower self-esteem. Interviews also revealed that those with high levels of eating concern showed greater levels of global self-dissatisfaction and higher dissatisfaction with their physical appearance and family relationships. Discussion: The results suggest that preventative interventions targeted at girls with low self-esteem may be appropriate.
0276-3478
39- 47
Button, Eric J.
d99bd26b-722e-450a-9b16-51a6ad004550
Loan, Philippa
bbd9b75b-d459-43f4-84e8-4e0a1e66d4b8
Davies, Jo
9f18fcad-f488-4c72-ac23-c154995443a9
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635
Button, Eric J.
d99bd26b-722e-450a-9b16-51a6ad004550
Loan, Philippa
bbd9b75b-d459-43f4-84e8-4e0a1e66d4b8
Davies, Jo
9f18fcad-f488-4c72-ac23-c154995443a9
Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S.
bc80bf95-6cf9-4c76-a09d-eaaf0b717635

Button, Eric J., Loan, Philippa, Davies, Jo and Sonuga-Barke, Edmund J.S. (1997) Self-esteem, eating problems and psychological well-being in a cohort of schoolgirls aged 15-16: a questionnaire and interview study. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 21 (1), 39- 47.

Record type: Article

Abstract

Objective: this study aimed to investigate the extent of eating problems and their association with self-esteem in girls aged 15-16. Method: Six hundred and nine schoolgirls aged 15-16 completed a questionnaire examining eating behavior, self-esteem, and general psychological well-being. A subsample of 31 girls was subsequently interviewed in terms of eating behavior and self-esteem. Results: The questionnaire findings revealed that 56% of girls felt too fat and had used some form of weight control strategy. In addition, 32% scored above the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) threshold for anxiety and 43% reached the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale criterion for low self-esteem. Interviews confirmed that those showing abnormal eating behavior in the questionnaires did indeed show greater eating pathology as well as lower self-esteem. Interviews also revealed that those with high levels of eating concern showed greater levels of global self-dissatisfaction and higher dissatisfaction with their physical appearance and family relationships. Discussion: The results suggest that preventative interventions targeted at girls with low self-esteem may be appropriate.

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Published date: 1997

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 18270
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/18270
ISSN: 0276-3478
PURE UUID: 9050f7b4-c654-4a66-ba97-e63dcb68de24

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Date deposited: 09 Mar 2006
Last modified: 22 Jul 2022 20:26

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Contributors

Author: Eric J. Button
Author: Philippa Loan
Author: Jo Davies
Author: Edmund J.S. Sonuga-Barke

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