Community recognition and beliefs about anorexia nervosa and its treatment.

Objective: Mental Health Literacy (MHL), namely recognition, and beliefs about treatment concerning Anorexia Nervosa (AN) were examined in a community sample of male and female (n = 983) aged 15-94 years.

Method: A vignette describing a women suffering from the symptoms of AN was presented, followed by a respondent-based structured interview concerning recognition of the problem and treatment beliefs.

Results: The majority of participants could identify the problem as that of an eating disorder, although only 16.

Eating disorders "mental health literacy" in low risk, high risk and symptomatic women: implications for health promotion programs.

Attitudes and beliefs concerning the nature and treatment of bulimia nervosa (BN) were compared among young adult women at low risk of an eating disorder (n = 332), at high risk (n = 83), or already showing symptoms (n = 94). Participants completed a self-report questionnaire that included a measure of eating disorder symptoms. A vignette of a fictional person suffering from BN was presented, followed by a series of questions addressing the nature and treatment of the problem described.

Quality of life, course and predictors of outcomes in community women with EDNOS and common eating disorders.

We investigated the 2-year course and putative predictors of outcome of 87 young community women with common eating disorders (n = 59, 68% with Eating Disorder not Otherwise Specified) following a health literacy (informational) intervention. Participants were recruited in 3-phases: community survey, interview and then invitation to a longitudinal study. The health literacy intervention was provided randomly to half participants at baseline and half at 1 year.

The rising prevalence of comorbid obesity and eating disorder behaviors from 1995 to 2005.

Objective: To measure the cooccurrence of obesity and eating disorder (ED) behaviors in the South Australian population and assess the change in level from 1995 to 2005.

Method: Two independent cross-sectional single stage interview based population surveys were conducted a decade apart. Self-reported height, weight, ED behaviors, and sociodemographics were assessed.

Eating disorder behaviors are increasing: findings from two sequential community surveys in South Australia.

Background: Evidence for an increase in the prevalence of eating disorders is inconsistent. Our aim was to determine change in the population point prevalence of eating disorder behaviors over a 10-year period.

Methodology/principal Findings: Eating disorder behaviors were assessed in consecutive general population surveys of men and women conducted in 1995 (n = 3001, 72% respondents) and 2005 (n = 3047, 63.

Obesity and impairment in psychosocial functioning in women: the mediating role of eating disorder features.

Objective: The objective was to test the hypothesis that, in women, the association between obesity and impairment in psychosocial functioning is mediated by levels of weight and shape concerns and/or binge-eating frequency.

Research Methods And Procedures: Self-report measures of eating disorder psychopathology, mental health functioning, subjective quality of life in the psychological and social domains, and days "out-of-role" associated with any (physical or mental) health problem, were completed by a community sample of women classified as obese (BMI >or=30 kg/m(2), n = 639) or non-obese (BMI <30 kg/m(2), n = 4253). For each of the dependent measures, regression models were used to test the hypothesis of mediation by comparing the strength of the relationship between independent and dependent variables with and without inclusion of the putative mediator in the regression model.

What are the effects of providing evidence-based information on eating disorders and their treatments? A randomized controlled trial in a symptomatic community sample.

Aim: We hypothesize that a reason for the infrequent uptake of treatments by people with eating disorders is poor knowledge about treatments and outcomes for eating disorders (ED-Mental Health Literacy; ED-MHL). Our aim was to test putative health benefits of a brief ED-MHL intervention.

Methods: In a community-based two-phase survey, 122 young women (mean age 28.