| The prevalence of disordered eating behaviors and attitudes with 454 youth in a Northern Canadian community, Whitehorse, Yukon was investigated. The youth were between 11 to 19 years of age and grades 7 to 12, and were from a range of ethnic backgrounds: Canadian, European Canadian, Asian Canadian, African Canadian, and Aboriginal Canadian.; Variables examined with the Whitehorse youth were age, grade, gender, ethnic background, percentage of ethnic diet, and residence. In addition, the Whitehorse youth were compared to youth from the larger, more centralized locations of southern Ontario and northeastern United States on the measures of the Eating Disorder Inventory-Second Revision (EDI-2).; It was found that between 2.4 to 8.6% of the boys and 1.6 to 6.5% of the girls showed a propensity for eating disorders. Boys reported a wide range of issues including bulimia, interpersonal distrust, impulse regulation, maturity fears, and social insecurity. Girls reported specific disordered eating behaviors and attitudes, such as the drive for thinness and body dissatisfaction. Maturity fears were a concern for Whitehorse youth, however they were greatest for the younger students. Body dissatisfaction was primarily a concern for the older students. A significant proportion of the Asian Canadian youth, the youth with greater percentage of ethnic food in their diet, and who reside away from family and community acknowledged disordered eating behaviors and attitudes.; It was found that Whitehorse youth had fewer disordered eating behaviors and attitudes than did the youth from southern Ontario (n = 610) and northeastern United States (n = 1373).; Conclusions drawn from this research were that youth in smaller, less centralized communities are less likely to have eating disorder concerns. It was premised that boys' disordered eating behaviors and attitudes may overlap with other psychological and behavioral problems. Furthermore, it was suggested that the EDI-2 subscales of Drive for Thinness and Body Dissatisfaction might be used for the identification of eating disorders in girls because of their more specific concerns. School-based prevention programs and a multidisciplinary approach were recommended. |
