EAT NORMS FOR GERMAN-SPEAKING ADOLESCENT GIRLS - A POPULATION-BASED STUDY

A representative sample of German speaking Italian schoolgirls aged 11 -20 years was surveyed with the German language version of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT, Garner & Garfinkel 1979). Coefficient alphas for both the 40 item and 26 item version (greater than or equal to .83) we re high. On the subscale level however, bulimia (.61) and oral control (.51) showed weak internal consistency. 6.0% and 6.9% of the subjects scored above the cut-off in the EAT-40 and EAT-26, respectively. Sign ificant correlations of EAT scores and counterregulative behaviours to prevent weight gain as well as bingeing indicate criterion validity o f the test. Given the linear dependency of weight indices and EAT scor es, overweight girls showed the highest test scores. Although weight i ndices were significantly higher in lower social classes, social class as well as age and occupational status showed no effect on EAT scores in female adolescents. Mean EAT scores were as high as in Berlin, ind icating no urban-rural differences. Normative data (percentiles) for G erman speaking female adolescents and young adults are presented; thes e norms were considerably lower than US-norms, mainly due to lower die t subscale scores. Our results indicate cross-cultural differences and showed an increasing prevalence of disturbed eating attitudes especia lly in the youngest age groups (age 11-15). Overweight girls may be es pecially at risk for developing an eating disorder.