A S Al-Subaie1. 1. Division of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. asubaie@ksu.edu.sa
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: The study examines the correlates of dieting behavior among Saudi schoolgirls. METHODS: Stratified cluster sampling was used to select female students from Grades 7 to 11 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects completed a sociodemographic data sheet and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI); their heights and weights were measured by a trained nurse. The total sample size was 1,271 students with a response rate of 92.76%. RESULTS: 15.9% scored positively on the EDI-Drive for Thinness subscale. Body mass index, speaking a Western language, and having lived in a Western country were the most significant personal factors associated with dieting behavior. Small family size and higher parental education and better occupation were significant family factors associated with dieting. DISCUSSION: Results reflect some culture-specific findings that are explained in cultural terms. Copyright 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
OBJECTIVES: The study examines the correlates of dieting behavior among Saudi schoolgirls. METHODS: Stratified cluster sampling was used to select female students from Grades 7 to 11 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Subjects completed a sociodemographic data sheet and the Eating Disorders Inventory (EDI); their heights and weights were measured by a trained nurse. The total sample size was 1,271 students with a response rate of 92.76%. RESULTS: 15.9% scored positively on the EDI-Drive for Thinness subscale. Body mass index, speaking a Western language, and having lived in a Western country were the most significant personal factors associated with dieting behavior. Small family size and higher parental education and better occupation were significant family factors associated with dieting. DISCUSSION: Results reflect some culture-specific findings that are explained in cultural terms. Copyright 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.