Factor structure of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) in a Turkish university sample.

OBJECTIVE

The primary purpose of this study was to compare the factor structure of the Eating Attitudes Test (EAT) in a sample of Turkish university students with both that of the original Canadian study and that of a Turkish study conducted ten years earlier.

METHOD

The EAT 40 was administered to a sample of 270 female undergraduates at the Bogazici and Marmara universities in Istanbul, Turkey.

RESULTS

The factor structure produced more closely resembled the original than did that of the study conducted ten years ago. Of particular note was the presence of a bulimia factor which had not emerged in the previous Turkish study, together with a new factor labelled "Ambivalence about Eating".

DISCUSSION

Comparison of the two Turkish studies highlights the emergence of a bulimia factor not present ten years ago. This reflects clinical experience. Moreover the new Ambivalence about Eating factor is discussed in terms of the transitional nature of Turkish society and the role of a culture clash between traditional and westernized attitudes towards food. It is therefore predicted that the prevalence of eating disorders in Turkish culture will dramatically increase in the foreseeable future.