The Relationship Between Ethnicity And Risk Factor For...

Rachel Ahn Psych 38 Professor Krause Relationship between Ethnicity and Risk Factor for Eating Disorders The relationship between ethnicity and eating disorder risk factors is a complex issue. There are many other variables that affect these two ideas, such as socioeconomic status, level of educational attainment, and acculturation. Flaws in studies such as unrepresentative and insubstantial sample size, and participation bias still have yet to be corrected for in order to obtain a more accurate understanding of the role ethnicity and its factors plays in eating disorders. Previous studies have suggested that the difference in eating disorder symptoms across ethnicities were negligible; however, the risk factors, such as the†¦show more content†¦This survey measured the fear of fat and stress caused by weight and shape via recording binge eating. It also measured the pressure to be thin by family and friends across a 7 point scale system. It also recorded eating disturbances within family, peer, and the individual’s perception of media, preoccupation with weight, extreme weight control behaviors, binge eating, and thin ideal internalization. (Shaw Ramirez, 2004) The results show that there seem to be more similarities than differences in body image and eating disturbances across ethnic groups. Among the tests, only 1 out of the 14 tests showed any substantial sign of differences in the eating disorder symptoms across ethnicities. 49 tests disproved that ethnicity affected the relationship between risk factors and eating pathology. They also found that socioeconomic class drastically affected results; eating disorder symptoms heavily influenced by age and socioeconomic status. The researchers discovered also that the mean differences between ethnic groups was not significant between the two groups that was tested with questionnaires and the group tested with interviews. Eating disorder behaviors such as purging, dieting, fasting, using laxatives across ethnicities was negligible. However, the study did find that the difference in women with amenorrhea in terms of eating disorder symptoms are most significant. (Shaw