Background and Aims:

According to recent European community-based studies, rates of anorexia and bulimia nervosa remained stable or decreased since the 1990s (Smink et al. 2016). This may be due to improved detection and/or changes in diagnostic criteria. However, other eating disorders and some specific disordered eating/DE symptoms may be increasing (Keski-Rahkonen & Mustelin 2016).
Aim: To analyse whether the levels of DE symptoms in university students have decreased or increased in comparison with the beginning of the 2000’s.
Methods:

Sample 1: collected in 2000-2001; n=500 (68.4% girls). Sample 2: collected in 2017-2018; n=455 (79.3% girls). Mean age and BMI (20.14±1.135 vs. 20.20±1.1794; 21.52±2.400 vs. 21.41±2.897) was not significant different between samples. Both samples answered the Eating Attitudes Test-25 (EAT-25; Pereira et al. 2008; Marques et al. 2017), which evaluates Bulimic behaviours/BB and Diet.
Results:

In boys, total (3.76±3.447 vs. 6.33±5.842) and Diet (2.02±2.015 vs. 3.73±3.410) scores were significantly higher in sample 2. In girls, BB (3.32±3.274 vs. 2.30±3.247) was significantly lower and Diet (2.42±2.255 vs. 3.55±3.059) was significantly higher in sample 2. In both genders, 10 items were significantly higher in sample 2, except for item 25 “Have the impulse to vomit after meals”. Relevant items such as “Am preoccupied with a desire to be thinner” (10), “Take laxatives” (15) and “Engage in dieting behavior” (23) were significantly higher in sample 2 in both genders.
Conclusions:

DE is not decreasing in Portuguese university students. Given its serious health consequences we should consider to screen for ED in young adults.

06 - DISORDERED EATING BEHAVIOUR IN PORTUGUESE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS – TWO DECADES LATER