Research Of Psychologic Factors On Eating Disorder Symptom And Diet Induced Emotional Reaction In College Students

Eating Disorder (ED) is a chronic mental disorder with abnormal eating behavior as the main symptom. The incidence of the disease is 1%~3% in the general population at present. This disease mainly occurred in women aged from 14 to 20, and about 10% female adolescent appeared varying degrees of eating disorder symptom. University students who have serious eating disturbance are the high-risk population of ED. The purpose of the study were: 1. To analyze the related psychologic factors that influenced the eating disorder symptoms, so as to provide theoretical evidence for psychological intervention. 2.To probe the disparities of emotional and physiological reaction when subjects who have different eating behaviors stimulated by external food cue, in order to offer experimental evidence for the research of eating disorder.Research I : Correlative study on body-image, perfectionism and eating disorder symptoms among university students.Method: 400 college students were recruited to complete Eating Disorder Inventory (EDI), Multidimensional Body-Self Relations Questionnaire (MBSRQ), Chinese version of Frost'S Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale (FMPS) and Social Physique Anxiety Scale(SPAS).Results:â‘ The appearance evaluation and body-areas satisfaction scores were lower in the eating disorder symptom group than in the control group, the eating disorder symptom group was scored higher on the appearance orientation, self-classified weight and overweight preoccupation of MBSRQ than the control group. Compared with the control group, the scores of FMPS and SPAS were higher in the eating disorder symptom group, the difference is significant.â‘¡The scores of body-areas satisfaction were lowest in the eating disorder symptom and normal weight group, and the scores of FMPS were highest, the differences have statistics meaning.â‘¢Stepwise linear regression showed that body-areas satisfaction, overweight preoccupation and appearance orientation were independent predictive variables of eating disorder symptom.â‘£Principal components analysis showed that the main factors affecting eating disorder symptom were fervent dissatisfaction of appearance and morbid pursuit for perfection.Research II: Research on the emotional reaction when people who have different eating behaviors stimulated by external food cue.Method: EDI high score group (experiment group) included 38 participants whose scores of the Eating Disorder Inventory are above 24; EDI low score group (control group) contained another 30 participants whose scores are below 10. Firstly give them ten object pictures, and then show them ten palatable food pictures. At the same time record their data of skin conduct, electroencephalograms and collect saliva respectively. All subjects had to finish the Motivation for Eating Scale (MFES) and Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) after the experiment.Results:â‘ The data of skin conduct and the secretory volume of cortisol and amylase of the EDI high score group are higher than the EDI low score group when the subjects are watching food pictures.â‘¡The EDI high score group had lower score of the physical eating subscale and the higher scores of the social and environmental subscales than the EDI low score group.â‘¢The scores of SAS were higher in the EDI high score group than in the EDI low score group.We have got the conclusions as follows:1. Subjects with eating disorder symptom have a negative concept of body-image, expressed as dissatisfaction with the body-areas, overestimate of their actual body weight and excessive concern for weight gain. The main factor induced the eating disorder symptom is intense body-dissatisfaction.2. Subjects with disordered eating have the tendency of exorbitant perfectionism and pursuit slender body type blindly.3. The eating disorder symptom of normal weight subjects is related with the improper assessment of body type and excessive pursuit for perfection. The health evaluation and health orientation have little effect on eating disorder symptom .The university students controlling their eating behaviors is not in order to keep health.4. The subjects with restraint dietary appeared high anxiety and physiological response after they stimulated by external food cue. The eating motivation of restricting food intake subjects is induced by exterior social environment; the eating motivation of subjects who have normal eating behaviors is decided by the physiological status of hunger.5. The high anxiety and physiological response about food caused by dietary restraint is the key factor of dieting-overeating cycle. Long-term and serious diet is bound to accelerate the occurrence and development of eating disorder symptom.