Running head: FREQUENCY OF BULIMIA NERVOSA IN SORORITY WOMEN
The Prevalence of Bulimia Nervosa in Sorority Women Relative to Non-Sorority Women
Jacob F. Berman
Tufts University
Abstract
The goal of the study was to determine if Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is more prevalent in sorority women relative to non-sorority women. The participants were 100 female undergraduates, 50 were sorority women and 50 were non-sorority women. It was determined if participants had an eating disorder or not. Participants completed Eating Disorder Inventories and Beck Depression Inventories twice, 3 years apart. A Chi-Square test indicated that the presence of BN in sorority women is not more frequent than the presence of BN in non-sorority women, χ2 (1) = .919, p = .3377. If the study had controlled for other groups, such as dancers and athletes, in addition to sororities, there may have been a statistically significant finding.
The Prevalence of Bulimia Nervosa in Sorority Women Relative to Non-Sorority Women
Introduction
Bulimia Nervosa (BN) is an eating disorder that involves bingeing followed by purging. Bingeing is defined as eating an amount of food in a discrete period of time that is larger than most people would eat in the same amount of time. It is also defined as having a lack of control over eating during an episode. Purging involves recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior after bingeing to prevent weight gain. The use of laxatives, diuretics, enemas, self-induced vomiting, fasting, and excessive exercise are different types of purging. In order for an individual to be diagnosed with BN, the binge eating and purging must occur on average twice a week for a period of 3 months. (American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000)
It has been shown that parental presence at meals has a positive effect on eating behavior. Parental presence at the evening meal has been positively correlated with higher numbers of vegetables, fruits, and dairy products eaten...