Introduction:

According to estimations, eating disorders affect 1-4% of the general population. In Colombia, few studies address this issue; however it has been found that the percentage of women with anorexia in Bogotá D.C. is similar to figures worldwide.

Objective:

To identify the risk of developing eating disorders (ED) in sixth through eighth grade students from a private school of Bogotá D.C.

Materials and methods:

Cross-sectional quantitative study conducted in sixth through eighth grade students from a school of Bogotá D.C., who were applied the EAT-26 Test. Those with scores greater than 20 were classified as having symptoms of risk of ED, and parents were summoned to receive prevention education on this matter.

Results:

979 students were surveyed: 523 were boys and 456, girls, a 9.4% prevalence of ED risk was found. Male students of the lower grades had a higher risk of suffering from eating disorders; predominance was observed in the female sex as the grade level increased.

Conclusion:

Men are more likely to develop risk symptoms for eating disorders, especially at early ages. Designing strategies to prevent the onset of this disorder in the school population is recommended.

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