Yu Zhiping, Tan Michael
Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, FL 32224, USA.
Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI 02881, USA.
Nutrients. 2016 Oct 26;8(11):673. doi: 10.3390/nu8110673.
Evidence of whether nutrition students are free from food-related issues or at higher risk for eating disorders is inconsistent. This study aimed to assess disordered eating behaviors and food addiction among nutrition and non-nutrition major college students. Students ( = 967, ages 18-25, female 72.7%, white 74.8%) enrolled at a public university completed online demographic characteristics surveys and validated questionnaires measuring specific disordered eating behaviors. Academic major category differences were compared. Additionally, high risk participants were assessed by weight status and academic year. Overall, 10% of respondents were a high level of concern for developing eating disorders. About 10.3% of respondents met criteria for food addiction. In addition, 4.5% of respondents had co-occurrence of eating disorder risk and food addiction risk out of total respondents. There were no significant differences in level of concern for developing an eating disorder, eating subscales, or food addiction among academic majors. The percentage of high risk participants was lower in the underweight/normal weight group than in the overweight/obese group in health-related non-nutrition major students but not in nutrition students. Early screening, increasing awareness, and promoting healthy eating habits could be potential strategies to help treat and prevent the development of disorders or associated health conditions in nutrition as well as non-nutrition students.
关于营养专业学生是否不存在与食物相关的问题或饮食失调风险更高的证据并不一致。本研究旨在评估营养专业和非营养专业大学生的饮食紊乱行为和食物成瘾情况。一所公立大学的学生（n = 967，年龄18 - 25岁，女性占72.7%，白人占74.8%）完成了在线人口统计学特征调查以及测量特定饮食紊乱行为的有效问卷。比较了学术专业类别差异。此外，根据体重状况和学年对高风险参与者进行了评估。总体而言，10%的受访者对饮食失调的发展高度关注。约10.3%的受访者符合食物成瘾标准。此外，在所有受访者中，4.5%的受访者同时存在饮食失调风险和食物成瘾风险。各学术专业在对饮食失调发展的关注程度、饮食分量表或食物成瘾方面没有显著差异。在与健康相关的非营养专业学生中，体重过轻/正常体重组的高风险参与者百分比低于超重/肥胖组，但在营养专业学生中并非如此。早期筛查、提高意识以及促进健康饮食习惯可能是帮助治疗和预防营养专业及非营养专业学生饮食失调或相关健康状况发展的潜在策略。
