EATING ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIORS IN 1,435 SOUTH-AFRICAN CAUCASIAN AND NON-CAUCASIAN COLLEGE-STUDENTS

Objective: The purpose of this study was to examine the presence and s everity of eating disorder pathology in students representing South Af rica's ethnically and culturally diverse population. Method: A questio nnaire survey, which involved the Earing Attitude Test and the Bulimic Investigatory Test, was administered to 1,435 South African college s tudents (739 Caucasian and 696 non-Caucasian) from six universities in two urban centers. Results: Black students scored significantly highe r than the other ethnic groups oil these measures; In addition, a comp arable percentage of black and Caucasian female students had scores wi thin the clinical range on these scales. Male students scored consiste ntly lower than female students. Conclusions This study's findings cha llenge the notion that eating disorders are primarily a Western, Cauca sian phenomenon and raise the possibility that the risk of eating diso rders may increase in developing societies.