Bulimia and bulimic behaviour in middle adolescence: more common than thought?

Objective: Studies on the prevalence of bulimia and bulimic behaviour have focused on female populations from their late teens. This study assesses th e prevalence of bulimia and bulimic behaviour in 14- to 16-year-old adolesc ents. Biological, sociodemographic and social correlates of these disorders are sought. Method: A self-report questionnaire was administered to pupils of the 8th a nd 9th grades of secondary school in four regions of Finland. In total, 445 3 girls and 4334 boys aged 14 to 16 years participated. Results: Bulimia was detected in 1.8% of girls and 0.3% of boys. Bulimic ea ting behaviour was reported by 14.4% of subjects. Sociodemographic variable s were not associated with increased risk. Bulimia was associated with bein g bullied by peers and higher than average weight in both sexes. Conclusion: Bulimia and bulimic eating behaviour appear to be more common t han was previously thought in middle adolescence, and also among boys. Buli mia deserves more attention in younger age groups than main risk groups so far considered.