Eating disorders and attitudes in Maltese and Italian female students.

BACKGROUND: No study to date has investigated the frequency of eating disorders (ED) in Malta. The aim of the present study was to provide a cross-cultural comparison between Malta and Italy as regards the frequency of ED and problematic eating attitudes among female students. SAMPLING AND METHODS: 128 Maltese and 135 Italian female students aged 16-20 were surveyed. Subjects underwent a structured clinical interview and completed some self-reported questionnaires: the Eating Attitudes Test, the Inventory for the Screening of Eating Disorders and the Eating Disorders Examination-Screening Version. RESULTS: The rates of ED are very similar in the two samples with the exception of the frequency of binge eating disorder which is zero in the Italian sample and 4% among Maltese students. Maltese female students weighed significantly more than their Italian counterparts. They also reported more frequent dieting, fear of fatness and experience of low self-esteem related to body shape and weight. CONCLUSIONS: Despite the fact that Maltese female students have a greater tendency to be overweight and display more problematic eating and body attitudes, their risk of developing ED, with the exception of binge eating disorder, is similar to that of their Italian counterparts.