Alicia Doss FCSC 5352 Eating Disorder Amy Shows PhD,RD,LD September 3, 2010

Summary on the article: Prevalence of Eating Disorders among Blacks in the National Survey of American Life The purpose of the study is to provide information on the characteristics of eating disorders based on the nationally representative samples of African-American and Caribbean Black adults and adolescents.The dependent variable is African American adult, adolescent and Caribbean Black adults,adolescent. The independent variable is eating disorder, gender, age The populations chosen were African American, and Caribbean Black adults ages 18-94. The other group chosen were adolescent from the same ethnicity as adults ages 13-17.There was a total of 5,191 adults participants with being 3,570 African American and 1,621 Caribbean Blacks. The numbers of adolescents were 1,170 with 810 being African American and 360 Caribbean Blacks. Gender distributions among African Americans adult =male 44%, 56% female; adolescents 50% male,50%female and Caribbean Black adults 51% male,49% female; adolescent 45% male,55%female. Adults and adolescents were interviewed in their home by a professionally trained interviewer using the WMH Composite International Diagnostic Interview. The prevalence of most eating disorder among Blacks is uncommon, but certain disorders are prevalent among specific subgroups of Blacks. Eating disorders in the Black population varies by type of disorder, age, gender. Ideas for future research included studying

why Caribbean Blacks had no presence of developing Anorexia Nervosa. The findings also provided evidence that Black boys may not be immune to eating disorders which suggest future research should purse this. This study is consistent with previous studies that Anorexia Nervosa is uncommon in African Americans but it does exist. Anorexia Nervosa usually appears in midadolescence within the Black population and because clinicians are not accustomed to treating them for this it is suggested that it will go undiagnosed and untreated for longer period of time. On the other hand, blacks experience a shorter durations of BN, binge eating and BED than any other ethnic and racial groups that have been studied within the National Survey of America Life. The findings in this study suggest that culture difference needed to be considered when diagnose eating disorders in the Black population. Bibliographical Reference

Taylor, J., Caldwell, C., Baser, R., Faison, N., & Jackson, J. (2007). Prevalence of eating disorders among blacks in the national survey of American life. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 40S10-S14. doi:10.1002/eat.20451.