Modelo etiológico de los comportamientos de riesgo para los trastornos alimenticios en adolescentes brasileñas del sexo femenino

Abstract The objective was to construct an etiological model of disordered eating behaviors in Brazilian adolescent girls. A total of 1,358 adolescent girls from four cities participated. The study used psychometric scales to assess disordered eating behaviors, body dissatisfaction, media pressure, self-es-teem, mood, depressive symptoms, and perfectionism. Weight, height, and skinfolds were measured to calculate body mass index (BMI) and percent body fat (%F). Structural equation modeling explained 76% of variance in disordered eating behaviors (F (9, 1,351) = 74.50; p = 0.001). The findings indicate that body dissatisfaction mediated the relationship between me-dia pressures, self-esteem, mood, BMI, %F, and disordered eating behaviors (F (9, 1,351) = 59.89; p = 0.001). Although depressive symptoms were not relat -ed to body dissatisfaction, the model indicated a direct relationship with disordered eating behaviors (F (2, 1,356) = 23.98; p = 0.001). In conclusion, only perfectionism failed to fit the etiological model of disordered eating behaviors in Brazilian adolescent girls.Feeding and Eating Disorders; Body Image; Adolescent