Eating and body image disturbances in adolescent psychiatric inpatients: gender and ethnicity patterns.

OBJECTIVE

To examine gender and ethnicity patterns in eating and body image disturbances in adolescents hospitalized in a psychiatric facility.

METHOD

Participants comprised 715 inpatients who completed the Millon Adolescent Clinical Inventory. Gender (317 males, 398 females), ethnicity (553 Caucasians, 77 Latinõ Americans, 85 African Americans), and Gender x Ethnicity interactions in the features of eating disorders and body image disturbance were explored in the study group.

RESULTS

Eating-related disturbances at diagnostic threshold were infrequent but participants' reported rates of specific features and symptoms were not. Overall, a significantly higher proportion of females than males reported features of eating and body image disturbances. The three ethnic groups differed significantly in their reports of body image disturbances but not in their endorsement of features of eating disorders. Post-hoc comparisons revealed that a significantly higher proportion of Caucasian participants reported body image concerns than did African American and Latinõ American participants who did not differ significantly from one another. Significant Gender x Ethnicity interactions were observed, with Caucasian females endorsing higher rates of features of eating disorders and body image disturbances than African American and Latinõ American females.

DISCUSSION

In adolescent psychiatric inpatients, although Caucasian females report the highest rates of the features of eating and body image disturbances, such concerns are not uncommon in males and in minorities.