The Prevalence of Myths About Eating Disorders Among Secondary School Students in Celje
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.55707/jhs.v13i1.182Keywords:
eating disorders, myths, binge eating disorder, anorexia, bulimiaAbstract
The appearance of adolescents changes significantly due to all the biological changes that occur during puberty. Their desire to take control of these changes can unconsciously lead to uncontrolled behaviour, resulting in the development of eating disorders. The prevalence of eating disorders among young Slovenians is increasing rapidly. Therefore, we investigated the recognition of myths about eating disorders among secondary school students in Celje (N = 386), how the recognition of myths about eating disorders correlates with certain factors (gender, age, parents’ educational level and personal experience) and from which sources they acquire their knowledge about eating disorders. To collect the data, we used a quantitative method – an online survey. Recognition of the most common myths about eating disorders among secondary school students in Celje is high, contradicting the results of some other studies. Gender emerged as the statistically significant variable of myth awareness, with male participants demonstrating poorer recognition of myths, and school as the environment in which secondary school students acquire the most knowledge about eating disorders. Based on the results of the study, we encourage the development of educational programs focused on the male population.
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