Eating Attitudes and Related Factors in Turkish Nursing Students

Changing eating behaviors might trigger obesity, deficiency, anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and reactive eating disorders. This study aimed to determine eating attitudes of nursing students in the western Black-Sea region of Turkey as well as to examine the effects of demographic features, self-esteem, body image, income level, and family structure on their eating attitudes. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 310 nursing students between January and February 2014. Data were collected using the personal information form, Eating Attitudes Test (EAT), Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), Beck Depression Scale (BDS), Body-Cathexis Scale (BCS), and Body Mass Index (BMI). Data were evaluated by descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis test, and Pearson correlation analysis. About 30.0% of Turkish nursing students had negative eating attitudes. There was a significant positive correlation between the BDS and EAT scores (P < 0.001). There was a significant negative correlation between RSES scores and EAT scores of nursing students (P < 0.001). A statistically significant difference was found between the father’s occupation (P < 0.05) and mother’s working condition (P < 0.05), and the students’ eating attitudes. Psychological status, self-esteem, economic level, and place of residence of nursing students may be the potential factors for eating disorders.