Eating disorders are impacting students from all demographics across college campuses.
But new research suggests that students from minority groups are often more impacted.
“We found that eating disorders affect students from all racial and ethnic backgrounds relatively similarly. Where differences did emerge, they were small and showed that students from minoritized groups were often more affected, contrary to many widely held beliefs. Furthermore, our research supports the fact that eating disorders are highly comorbid with other psychiatric disorders, including disorders such as depression and anxiety,” Ellen Fitzsimmons-Craft, an associate professor of psychological and brain sciences and co author of the study told Theravive.
“We see in the literature that individuals who are White, non-Hispanic, female, and come from a more privileged socioeconomic background are not only more likely to receive treatment for an eating disorder, but are also more likely to be diagnosed with an eating disorder in the first place, even when they present with the same exact symptoms as those who hold different identities. Stereotypes about who eating disorders affect are prevalent, which may bias how clinicians screen for and diagnose eating disorders, as they may be more likely to look for disordered eating behaviors in White, non-Hispanic, wealthy, female patients, leaving other patients who come from different demographic backgrounds untreated. This is problematic as early identification and treatment in eating disorders is incredibly critical for preventing a chronic course of disease.”
The researchers from Washington University in St Louis conducted a survey of more than 29 thousand students across 26 college and universities.
Of the respondents, two thirds were female. In the survey, students were asked to answer questions about their health and mental health as well as their attitudes towards body image and food.
13 percent of those surveyed indicated signs of eating disorders including bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and binge eating disorder.
The researchers found that risk for eating disorders was similar among Latino, Black, white and Asian students.
“This particular study was inspired by a hole in the eating disorders literature that our team discovered as we were preparing a presentation to train providers and clinicians on the identification and treatment of eating disorders. As we were searching through the literature for data on prevalence rates of eating disorders across racial and ethnic groups, we were met with inconsistent results, from non-population-based samples, such as samples that only included women, samples that only drew from a very limited geographic region, and/or samples of people who self-selected into the research,” Fitzsimmons-Craft said.
“Currently, individuals who are White and non-Hispanic are diagnosed with and treated for eating disorders at a much higher rate than individuals from marginalized racial and ethnic groups, due to stereotypes many providers hold about who struggles with these problems. Through this study we sought to generate information on who actually struggles with eating disorders, to potentially dispel some of the stereotypes that providers hold.”
The researchers found that Asian women were more likely than their female peers from other racial groups to show signs of anorexia nervosa. Hispanic women were more likely to show signs of binge eating disorder or bulimia nervosa.
The researchers say there are a number of ways colleges could support students from minority groups.
“Since our study found that minoritized students often experience higher rates of eating disorders, colleges should consider taking proactive steps to make support systems more accessible and inclusive. This could include initiatives like hiring diverse counseling staff, offering multilingual or culturally informed therapy options, and incorporating eating disorder education into campus programming that reaches a wide range of student communities. Peer-led support groups, partnerships with cultural centers, and training for faculty and staff to recognize disordered eating across diverse populations can also make a big difference. These targeted strategies help ensure all students feel seen, supported, and able to seek help while decreasing stigma,” Fitzsimmons-Craft said.
“Early identification for eating disorders is key. These concerns are most likely to present in adolescence and young adulthood, thus positioning college campuses in a unique spot to intervene during a period of high risk. Our team has conducted various studies evaluating universal screening measures and subsequent care referral on college campuses, showing that providing students with targeted programs can help decrease disordered eating concerns. Universities should consider implementing universal mental health screening for all students, including screening for concerns like eating disorders, and referring high risk and affected students to resources for prevention and treatment, respectively. Depending on their illness severity, some students may need more in-depth evaluation and care, however our team’s line of work has evaluated digital programs that are flexible, cost-effective, and easily accessible to students. Adoption of such technologies could also be key in supporting students affected by eating disorders.”