Abstract

This study was made to find out the relationship between the eating attitude influenced by an eating disorder and nutritional knowledge among 441 female college students. A self-report questionnaire was used, and the summary of the results are as follows : Almost all of the surveyed female college students were in criteria of standard weight, however they regard themselves more obese than what their actual body shape normally shows. The correlation between perceived body shape and the eating attitude influenced by an eating disorder turned out to be high(p<0.001). The significant level of correlation between the perceived body shape and the eating attitude test-26(EAT-26) scores showed much higher than that obtained between actual shape, degree of obesity and eating attitude test-26(EAT 26) scores(p<0.001). There was no significant level of correlation between the defree of obesity and the average score of nutritional knowledge obtained out of the total questionnaire, however it showed significant level of correlation between macronutrient and roughage(p<0.05), fat and calorie requirement(p<0.01). There was significant correlation among perceived body shape, actual weight and eating attitude influenced. by an eating disorder. Thus the correct perception of body shape turned out to be an important factor in obtaining the desirable eating attitude and adequate nutritional knowldege.

• Keywords: eating attitude; eating difoder; body shope; nutritional knowledge