Attitudes regarding food health and taste and body image among women

Author(s)

Priscila Koritar

• Document type: Master's Dissertation
• Press: São Paulo.
• Institution: Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR)
• Defense date: 2013-11-08

Examining board members

Sonia Tucunduva Philippi; Marle dos Santos Alvarenga; Fernanda Baeza Scagliusi

• Advisor: Sonia Tucunduva Philippi

Abstract

Food choice process receives multiple influences, could be highlighted the concern for health, the pleasure obtained through food and the body dissatisfaction as important determinants of food consumption, and may also act as precipitating factor and maintainers of eating disorders (ED). Objective - To assess how attitudes towards taste versus health differ between young women with eating disorders and young women from non-clinical population, and the relationship between these attitudes with their body image. Methods - 216 college students women and 30 women under treatment for ED (18-40 years; 83 per cent had a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa; 17 per cent had a diagnosis of anorexia nervosa) completed the Health and Taste Attitudes Scale (HTAS) and the Figure Rating Scales for Brazilian Adults. College students participated in the crosscultural adaptation of the Taste Scale of HTAS and answered Eating Attitudes Test - for assessing the risk for ED. The Taste Scale was assessed in terms of their internal consistency, test-retest reliability, concurrent and discriminant validity, and confirmatory factor analysis and exploratory. The scores of HTAS for students with and without risk for ED and, patients with ED and without risk for ED were compared using by means a covariance analysis. The influence of body satisfaction scores in HTAS was assessed by Pearson coefficient correlation. Results - The Taste Scale was considered adequate and easily understood, showed good internal consistency and reliability (Cronbachs alpha 0.86, Intraclass Correlation Coefficient 0.84). The risk behavior for ED was identified in 25.0 per cent of the college students, who were not 10 compared with patients. Students had a higher score on the Taste Scale when compared to the patients (p<0.009). College students with ED risk had higher score on Health Scale compared with those without ED risk (p=0.022). Patients had higher levels of body dissatisfaction (p<0.001) and worse body perception (p=0.015) than students. In both groups, there was no correlation between body dissatisfaction and perceived attitudes more focused health or taste. Conclusion - Women of non-clinical population had attitudes more focused on taste and pleasure while those with ED showed attitudes more geared towards health, regardless of the degree of dissatisfaction and body perception. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 11/04464-6 - The influence of health concern, the quest for pleasure and body dissatisfaction in women food choice
• Grantee: Priscila Koritar
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master